


Taming Wild Fire

by Sicone



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff and Humor, General, Original Character(s), Romance, Some Humor, Teenage Drama, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-16
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2018-04-09 16:35:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 68
Words: 113,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4356419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sicone/pseuds/Sicone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A girl returns home after years of travel and home schooling with her father. Excitement, nerves, and adventure come together in this tale of reunion as worlds collide literally when she bumps in to a punk. Not just any punk, a tri-haired colored punk with an attitude that needs readjustment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think in the comments. I'm open to constructive criticism as well as discussion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm open to constructive criticism and discussion. The OC is my own creation. Please be mindful.

The blazing sun hung high in the desert sky as it beat down on the golden sea. Among the frozen ocean atop a dune stood a young woman with her grey-blue eyes shielded by her hand as she peered out at the expanse. Sweat dripped on her forehead as her chest heaved for air. Her cream-and-rose skin glowed in the sunlight all the while as a smile spread across her dry lips. Though her bangs were plastered to her face, the rest of her dark brown hair was pulled back in to a ponytail that now clung to her equally sweaty neck.

 _I'm gonna miss all this._ She thought to herself, used to her life on the road. Her father was an archaeologist and they were always on the go. For her last year of high school though, he had found it best to let her properly get educated and admission in to college. A sense of excitement and anxiety rippled through her for the umpteenth time. She would be settled in a proper town and attending a proper school for the first time in a long time. A hollowness started to echo in her at the fact she would be leaving this adventurous life.  _I'll definitely be back. I won't give this up for anything._  She promised to the Earth before she walked off to the nearby encampment that was set up with a spring in her step. This was just a new chapter in her life and she would start with a clean page.


	2. First Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone hopes for a normal first day, but that seldom happens when nerves are on edge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm open to constructive criticism and discussion. The OC is my own creation. Please be mindful.

The day had finally come. After they had wrapped the work up in the desert, they were on a plane yet again and settled in a proper home. It was all exhilarating, but blurred in her mind. Time had moved far too fast as she now found herself before the gates of her school to be. She bit her lip as she peered up at the austere pristine building. She suddenly felt very inadequate and debated the option to turn back and head home. She steeled her nerves though and took a deep breath.

 _You go this Terry, you got this. Just one step at a time right?_  She coached herself mentally. She had ran from beasts of all kinds, narrowly evaded death, and fought off all kinds ailments; yet here she was intimidated by a building full of teenage humans. A small scoff of laughter left her lips as she noted the fact and squared her slumped shoulders.  _Alright, you can do this!_  She thought as she took the first step in to the threshold and headed to the main office. It was not too hard to find, the plaque beside the doors helped her as she wandered the empty halls. She was late, but the school assured her father it was alright.

Time seemed to tick by slowly as she sat in the silent waiting area.  _How long has it been now?_  She glanced at around at the flyers and notices that adorned the walls. She tried her best not to fidget too much, her nerves on edge as she heard the hum drum sounds of the office. It was clean and streamlined, something she was not used to at all.

"Sharif, Terry." A voice called out gently and instantly she was up on her feet with a proclaimed 'yes' in response. Her normally voice seemed too loud in this environment. The office attendant smiled kindly at her and led her back to her desk so that everything was taken care of properly. Time seemed to flyby as she worked with the kind attendant as their conversation shifted between work and small stories of Terry's many misadventures. The schedule was explained to her along with a basic run down of the school rules before she was given a locker assignment and a brief tour of the school. She thanked the employee once again at all the help, a bright small on her face before she bowed in a customary manner to the culture. She had made sure to read up and practice her manners so as not to offend anyone. When all was said and done though, she found herself at her shoe locker.

A loud bell rand above her head and snapped her out of her reverie as she noted the time and that the next class had begun. She quickly shook her head and turned to head towards her assigned classroom. Now was not the time to dawdle. As she mentally scolded herself and inattentive of her surroundings, she soon found her body collided with another and both of them were knocked of balance from the collision.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly without a thought. "I wasn't looking where I was going! Are you alright?" She had managed to catch herself from unceremoniously coming in contact with the floor and hoped the other person was as lucky. Her gaze was greeted with the pleasant sight of a handsome young man who was taller than her. She would estimate a head at least, but that was unimportant.  _Stay focused!_  She scolded herself as she found herself lost in a pair of intense azure-violet eyes. He was lean, athletic at the most, in build. She felt at least that much from her genius move. She figured he was about her age, and nicely defined facial features. A strong jawline with a prominent throat. Her admiration of the handsome male is short lived though.

"You better be sorry! Watch where you're goin' next time!" A male voice viciously snapped and she winced in reflex at the rude recall to reality.

"Dumb bitch…." She heard the guy mutter as they walked past her before she could say anything. His shoulder jostled her a bit roughly as she stood there in slight shock.

 _That can't be true...I mean yeah people are mean, but like day one?_  She frowned to herself. She debated turning to retaliate but figured it was best to let the event slide.  _Maybe he's having a bad day? I mean who'd be happy to be crashed in to by a complete stranger?_  She rationalized for him as she peered over her shoulder at him and bit her tongue to keep silent.  _Tri-colored and gelled hair. Definitely the rebellious type._  She thought, but her eyes take note of the smirk that graced his pink lips. A slight heat raised to her cheeks as she felt his gaze flicker over her body. She had no time to obtain a uniform so she was allowed to wear suitable clothes that consisted of a skirt, a button down shirt, tie, and vest.  _What's he smirking about?_  She thought as she narrowed her eyes in slight annoyance. She never had a boyfriend or went out on a date so she did not have a usual type of guy. She did think the stranger was attractive but his actions and words ruined any possible interest.  _I don't have time to worry about that!_  She quickly shook her head as he continued on his way though. She had no time for this, she needed to head to class and get situated.

She quickly retraced her way to her classroom and knocked on the door before allowed in. The teacher seemed tired but relieved by her interruption, the class a little rowdy but had gone silent at the new comer that entered the class. She handed a sheet of paper to the teacher who quickly wrote her name on the board.

"Class, this is your new classmate Sharif Terumi." She said and Terry bowed to the class.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Please take care of me." Terry said before she stood straight again with a kind smile. The class drawled out a response to her but a pair of honeydew brown eyes caught her attention and a bubble of excitement swelled in her. She was officially home again in Japan and with luck on her side again she found her old childhood friend in her class. The morning had a few hitches and it all seemed worth it now as she gave a slight wave as the teacher informed the class to be kind to her.

"Terry," the blonde exclaimed with joy as he hoped out of his sleepy haze and on to his feet.

"Jonouchi," the teacher scolded him firmly and he quickly stood at attention and apologized. She sighed heavily at this and looked to Terry. "Your seat is next to him by the window." With a quick bow she thanked the teacher and hurried to her seat so she could regain order from the class who laughed at the antics of their classmate. She noted an empty seat not too far from her but she paid it no mind as she looked to her dear friend and smiled. He grinned right back at her, ecstatic that she had actually ended up in his school. She wanted to surprise him, but she had not considered the thought of them being in the same class. This had to be sign for good luck the rest of the day.


	3. Good Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's a morning with a blaring alarm clock you ask? Well Yami has a few choice words on that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm open to constructive criticism and discussion. The OC is my own creation. Please be mindful.

_FUCKING HELL._  That was the only way he thought of this morning.  _Screeching, blaring, obnoxious FUCKING HELL._ He thought sourly as he chucked the plastic hunk of technology at the farthest wall in his room at the wall. Its chord ripped out out of the socket and whipped him against the back of his head in the process.  _Fucking brilliant,_  he growled as he glared at the now blank screen of his alarm clock. It had ripped him out of the beautiful dream where he was king of the castle and women flocked to him in desperation for his attention. He had no intention of going to school, but he had set the alarm out of habit. The sweet rapture of bliss was taken the moment he had raised his hand to smack his clock silent. The thing had to have moved since his hand came in contact with the corner of the nightstand instead. The pain erupted in his palm and the swing had him tumble to the ground from the warm embrace of his sheets, only to be followed by the sharp pain and crash from his alarm clock greeting his head unceremoniously not too long after. He muttered a string of curses as he got up off the floor of his room and stretched.

He was up now though, so he may as well get dressed and go. A stream of uncensored curses grumbled from his throat as he stepped out of his room until he felt something latch on to his leg. He looked down and the hardness in his eyes softened instantly as he looked at the head of his younger brother who now clung to his leg. The terrible start up instantly washed away from him at the sight of the bright and wide smile that graced the younger boy.

"Morning Yami," he cheered happily and actually smiled wider at the familiar greeting of his hair being ruffled by his elder brother.

"Morning Yugi, you ready for school? Why aren't you already on the way actually?" Yami frowned at the realization as he looked up to see his mother who let out a sigh.

"He wanted to go to school with you." She said and kissed his elder son on his cheek. "Sleep well honey? I heard quite a ruckus in your room."

"Yeah, just tumbled outta bed is all." Yami smiled at his mother and looked at Yugi who had the biggest puppy dog eyes set on him.  _Fucking hell...so I am going to school. You're so damn lucky I love you bro._  He thought to himself as he chuckled and ruffled Yugi's hair once again. "Alright, go finish getting ready so I can get ready too. Don't give mom a hard time OK?" A loud cheer cut him off and Yugi dragged his mother happily to get ready to leave with Yami. With a small sigh he scratched at his chest as he headed to the bathroom down the hall with a little more spring in his step.

The rest of the usual routine was done in a rush as Yugi forgot that he had to be on time today and halfway to his school he realized he needed to have something for show and tell. Now there was nothing they could get for him, nor could they go back home and be back to school in time so now Yami found himself before a class of six year-old kids who looked up at him in awe. The teacher was kind enough to let this slide, a bit amused in her own way and had gave a hint to Yami how much Yugi talked about him to everyone. He did not really understand what was being said about him at the moment, his mind still hazy from the late night and rude awakening he had not too long ago.

"And that's my brother!" Yugi repeated for the umpteenth time happily as Mokubah came in and with him came in his brother Seto Kaiba. The two teen boys looked to one another and sighed a little with amusement at their predicament. Seto glared at him to keep silent of this while Yami glared a little back at him to keep the same. The rest of the class gaped in awe and asked a million and one questions to the two elder boys who were among them after Mokubah was allowed to talk about his brother much like Yugi did of Yami. The teacher than apologized to the teens and the class thanked them for spending time.

Anyone who saw them would think there was some tension between the two, but in fact the two had a mutual understanding of one another. Their brothers were best friends and they were good friends in secret as well. As they stepped out of the elementary school gates, Yami turned left to head to the mall but soon found himself dragged in to a car by Seto.

"The kids are watching dumb ass." He said in a grunt and Yami scowled in response.

"Can I help you?" He shrugged off the tug but got in to the car anyway. He knew Yugi was watching from class to make sure he headed to school as well. "And I'm not the dumb ass, you're the dumb ass!"

"Says the guy who doesn't know where his school is." Seto sneered to him.

"I know where it is! I just wasn't heading there."

"While your brother and his classmates are staring at us from their classroom?"

"So what?" He stuck his tongue out at Seto.

"Real mature," Seto said with a smile though irritation is clear in his eyes.

"Right back at ya." Yami said as the two flipped one another off in silence.

As per usual, the car parked a good distance from the school but stayed until Seto was safely through the gates. He left Yami to his own demise at this point as he looked at his watch to see he had enough time to reach his classroom and take the exam that was currently in session. "We have a test today...but you probably don't give a shit." He walked off without another word, Yami left with his mouth open to retort but no chance to do so.

 _What the fuck does he mean by that? Who the hell does he think he is? So what if he has a million bucks! Not like he cares if I pass or fail! No one gives a shit._  Yami ranted in his mind as he glared at Seto's back as his mind played images of him suddenly suffocating from said glare. After a few deep breaths though, he glanced between the school and the gates and turned to the gates but the news of the test nagged at him.  _Ra fucking dammit!_  He clicked his tongue in distaste as he turned and headed in to the school. He would show Seto that he could easily out do him on the exam.

As he fantasized about Seto apologizing to him as if some insignificant worm unworthy of Yami's presence, he is brought back to reality by a crash. He managed to keep his balance enough to not fall to the ground and looked at the person responsible. Before he could even say anything the girl responsible spoke up. A pair of sincere grey-blue eyes looked up at him with concern dripping with apology. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch as if to smile but he forced a firm line.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly without a thought. "I wasn't looking where I was going! Are you alright?" She had managed to catch herself from unceremoniously coming in contact with the floor as well it seemed and he felt a small wave of relief wash through him.

 _The fuck?! She should have fallen, the hell am I feeling relieved for?_  "You better be sorry! Watch where you're goin' next time!" Yami viciously snapped and she winced in reflex. He did not like that reaction and did not get why though. Today was not his day and he had pretty much had it with everything already. "Dumb bitch…." He muttered and walked around her, his shoulder jostled her a bit roughly as she stood there in slight shock. He looked back over at her one last time though and noted she was actually pretty cute looking. She was not overly curvy nor overly skinny. She had long hair too, which he never really liked since it meant the girl is high maintenance from his experience. It suited her though. He normally went for girls with bigger breasts and trendy short hair, but she had a nice pair from what he could see and the long hair suited her. His gaze locked with hers once again and he walked away with a smirk.  _So maybe today hasn't been so bad._  He thought.


	4. New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting old friends and making some new always helps balancing out the bully karma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm open to constructive criticism and discussion. The OCs are my own creation. Please be mindful.

As soon as the the lunch bell finally rang, Terry found herself pulled in to someone and strong arms wrapped around her as a face nuzzled itself in to her hair. Laughter filled the air as she tried to struggle free and properly look to her captor. "Hey, hey! Let me go Jo!" She pleaded through her laughter, but was answered with a serious of stubborn no's and never's until she was finally given a little leeway to slip away. She sighed with relief at this and glared at him with puffed cheeks of anger, which shocked him greatly.

"H-hey, Ter I didn't mean to-," his sentence was cut short as she pulled him in to a proper hug without a care of what the others thought. A series of gasps and hushed murmurs began at the scene but she did not seem to notice as she looked up at him with a smile.

"I'm home," she said softly and he ruffled her hair.

"Yeah, welcome back." He grinned, but then noted the people who gawked and cleared his throat a bit. "Sh-she's like a sister ya see! She's been traveling the world with her dad and all so she doesn't really know." He stammered out an explanation as Terry turned and looked at their classmates.

"He's my childhood friend." She said simply and the class looked amongst one another before they finally approached her and asked her a million and one questions about her travels. She happily answered them to the best of her ability. Unbeknownst her as the crowd around her grew, the crowd around another girl shrunk and it annoyed her greatly. A glare from the busty brunette was settled on her through the cracks of the audience. A series of gasps and cheers was heard as she went from tale to tale as she went from fails and victories alike. The dangerous life enthralling like some type of film to the others.

"Okay, okay guys she needs to eat too ya know!" Jonouchi huffed, his arms crossed as he started to play bodyguard.

"Aw, he's jealous!" A friend teased.

"He wants to keep her all to himself." Another jeered and nudged him.

"Yup, he's keeping her safe for me." A familiar voice called out and they all turned to see Honda in the doorway. Terry smiled at him and gave a small wave to him as he tried to be as charismatic as possible.

"No, he is saving her for me." Another male voice came from him and Terry raised a brow at this one. She certainly had not met him before.

"Get off me, geez! And Jo would never give her to you!" Honda huffed and looked to his best friend for support as the new comer took the chance to slip in and grab a hold of Terry's hand.

"The name is Ryuji, Otogi Ryuji. You can just call me sweetheart if you like." He smirked at her and the girls squealed at his appearance as some guys muttered while others laughed at his attempt.

"Nice to meet you Ryuji and no, I don't think I'll be calling you that." She said with a little laughter and the guys laughed at the deflated look that came from Ryuji. "You're a friend of Jo's?" She asked curiously and he sighed at the question as if troubled that she knew this.

"Sadly," he muttered but it was clear that they got along well secretly but was soon cut off as he was yanked away by Jonouchi and Honda and accosted for coming too close to her.

"I'm glad he's got such caring friends." She said more to herself and finally stood from her seat. "So uhm, where do we eat lunch?" She asked curiously as she grabbed her lunch from her bag.

"Oh right," Jonouchi straightened up and tugged at the lapels of his uniform. "Follow me." He grinned and thumbed his nose.

"I don't think I have a choice in that matter." She laughed when some girls piped in.

"That's no fair! We want to hangout with her too!" A girl pouted and grabbed Terry's arm suddenly. "My name is Minako, but you can call me Mina! Can I call you Terry?" She asked in a chipper tone, there was no way she could not smile at the cute girl and nod. Minako cheered happily and hugged Terry tightly and looked to Jonouchi who sighed in frustration.

"I haven't seen her in years." He pouted. "What do you mean not fair?"

"W-well isn't she going to lunch with us?" Terry asked and the class laughed at her confusion.

"No, we usually have lunch where we want. Be it the courtyard, another classroom, our classroom, or the roof." Minako explained and a sparkle of interest could be seen in Terry's eyes.

"I want to have a lunch on the roof! With friends!" She said and Jonouchi snickered at her childish blunt words.

"Pfft, what a stupid thing to say." A mocking voice called out and the group turned to see none another than the tri-haired punk that Terry had bumped in to earlier. Her body tensed a bit as she swallowed thickly as he looked at her. She really did not get why he targeted her, they had just met. "You sound like an idiot, ya know that right?"

"Leave her alone Yami. She's new here." Honda cut in, Jonouchi silent at the moment.

"Ignore him," Minako whispered to Terry as she came in front of her a bit as did Ryugi.

"Tch, playing innocent? What a joke! Spineless worms like you make me sick." He spat out at her and Terry frowned. "You're all a bunch or fucking morons for falling for a ploy like that."

"I don't know what your issue is, but don't go insulting people who are trying to be nice. They didn't do anything to you out of the blue. Whatever issue you have with me is with me, so keep it between us." She finally said bluntly, her eyes leveled with Yami. He was shocked by this. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was cut off by her. "Furthermore, I haven't said a thing to you and you've just been lashing out at me for no reason. Don't just assume me being silent means I'm spineless or weak. It just means I don't want to further the issue you have going on."  _What's wrong with this guy? He just goes around bullying people? That's messed up. Hmm...maybe he is just a bully. I guess I'll just have to be careful...bullies in Japan can be pretty scary I heard._  She thought to herself, but did not back down as they glared at one another. Finally he looked away with a click of his tongue and some muttered words as he turned and continued towards a group of snickering students. The brunette girl who was once glared at her was all over the one called Yami without a care, her eyes set on Terry as she kissed him. This shocked her a bit, but she was mostly confused by the display and looked away quickly as others groaned for one reason or another.

"Quit whoring around. This is a school not a brothel." A strong voice called out from behind Terry, but it was unknown who he was referring. Before anyone could ask he was headed to the door. "This racket is annoying." Seto muttered and walked past them coldly with his work and lunch. A gaggle of girls was soon after him as they gushed over the 'cold prince'.

"Ignore him too," Minako huffed a bit but looked to Jonouchi who was silent the entire time. His gaze was distant, but nothing was said by anyone and soon those who lingered slowly slipped away to their own groups of friends. Terry placed a timid hand on his arm and he jumped.

"Hunh? Rooftop right? Let's go!" He said quickly and grabbed his lunch and Terry's hand before anything else could be said or done. A worry seeped in to her body as she was led through the school to the roof. A slight frown hung at the corner of mouth.  _Is Jo bullied by Yami? But he's so strong...what happened to you?_  She wanted to ask, but figured it was best to stay silent for now.

Once they reached the rooftop, she smiled at the cool breeze that hit them and smiles at the bright blue sky above. So the day still held some negativity. She was not about to let that get the best of her though. She headed toward the fence and looked out at the school below and a bit of the surrounding town. "Hey Jo, do you live near here? I had to take a train in to town from where I live." Terry said, knowing full well it was best not to ask. She noted the shock look on his face and just smiled wider. "Don't give me that look, come here and show me!" She pointed to a direction. "I came from that way." She pointed.

"Really, I do too! What stop are you?!" Minako asked as she joined in at the attempt.

"Damn, I come from that way...maybe I can drive you home some time?" Ryuji offered and Honda cleared his throat at this.

"Over my dead body." Honda said as he pinched the hand was inching towards Terry's waist.

Jonouchi watched the group in shock, unsure of what to say or do at this moment. He was ready to put of a fight to not be asked or talk about his issue. The question asked was not one he had expected though and soon enough his laughter could be heard.

"You're laughing at my pain!? You're such an ass!" Ryugi scolded him and hugged Minako. "You understand my pain yes?!" No answer could be heard as her face went bright red and Terry laughed as well as Ryugi is clueless as to why. "Are you sick? You Okay? Should we head to the nurse's office?" He panicked and Honda only added on as he placed a hand on her forehead.

"Oi, leave the poor girl alone! She just needs water! Morons," Jonouchi said and walked over to join them as he pointed in the direction he came from. They all looked at him surprised by his response as Terry grinned.

"We can go home together today?" Terry asked. "Mina can come too!" She added as they saved her from more embarrassment. The two boys frowned at the exclusion, but internally were grateful that Jonouchi did not recede like he usually did. They all finally settled down for lunch though, food passed around happily. Laughter and scolding echoed through the air as the boys fought for bites and attention and the girls tried to settle them down. Terry and Mianko managed to get even with them as well as they snacked on the unguarded lunches of the boys when they fought which only caused more confusion in the boys. Soon enough, the idea of the roof being haunted was decided on by the trio and fear settled in them so much that the bell signaling that lunch has ended made them all jump. The girls laughed at this, unable to tell them the truth. It would simply be there own little secret for now as they were 'gallantly protected' by the boys who urged them to leave the roof and head to the safety of the classroom where there could be witnesses.


	5. Bad Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day just seems to get better for Yami.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm open to constructive criticism and discussion. The OCs are my own creation. Please be mindful.

Yami sauntered aimlessly through the halls of the school, his hands shoved in to his pockets. His shoulders were slumped as he took his sweet time to head to the roof. As usual around this time, it was empty. A small and sad smile crossed his face before he plopped himself down and leaned against the the side wall of the staircase. The clean air calmed him a little, the silence a comfort he well appreciated at the moment. He hated the fake smiles and apologies of the world.

 _What a day,_  he thought dryly as he sighed for the fifth time since he got to the stairwell.  _The morning started off annoying._  He pulled out a box of cigarettes and pulled one out.  _I did get to drop off Yugi and help him out though._  He held the stick between his lips as he rummaged for his lighter.  _Then Seto dragged me to this hell hole._ Upon retrieval of said lighter, he struck the wheel and lit it up.  _Then there was that weirdo foreigner chick. Who the fuck does she think she is fooling with that lame ass accent! She probably just wants to get in my pants or something._  He puffed out some smoke and looked up at the clear blue sky. Today was out of the ordinary and he did not know if he liked it or not.  _She had to have something up her sleeve...why would she apologize? She's a foreigner-why the fuck do I keep thinking about her?! She's outta my hair now!_  He scolded himself in irritation and flicked the butt of his finished cigarette as he shifted his thoughts to other things.

After a few smokes, Yami finally deemed the class worthy enough of his presence and headed back down to his class. There was quite the commotion through the walls from the sound of it and it peeked his interest though he looked otherwise. He entered the classroom and the sound of a familiar female voice caught his ear.

"I'm glad he's got such caring friends. So uhm, where do we eat lunch?"

 _No, it couldn't be...in my class, really?!_ He thought and quickly turned and peered through the crowd. It was none other than the girl from before.

"Oh right," Jonouchi straightened up and tugged at the lapels of his uniform. "Follow me." He grinned and thumbed his nose.

"I don't think I have a choice in that matter." She laughed when some girls piped in.

"That's no fair! We want to hangout with her too!. My name is Minako, but you can call me Mina! Can I call you Terry?" She asked in a chipper tone and the sound seemed to irk Yami more. He could not fathom why, but to be so hyper over a newcomer was ridiculous.

 _Terry is her name...interesting. I knew she was a foreigner._  He scoffed as she smiled at Minako.  _What a fake. The lot of them._

"I haven't seen her in years." Joey pouted. "What do you mean not fair?"

"W-well isn't she going to lunch with us?" Terry asked and the class laughed at her confusion.

"No, we usually have lunch where we want. Be it the courtyard, another classroom, our classroom, or the roof." Minako explained and a sparkle of interest could be seen in Terry's eyes.

"I want to have a lunch on the roof! With friends!" She said and Jonouchi snickered at her childish blunt words.

"Pfft, what a stupid thing to say." Yami called out in a mocking tone and the group turned to look at him. Her body tensed a bit as she swallowed thickly as he looked at her and it made him more irritated. Something about her unnerved him.  _Her eyes...they're so fucking creepy. They're always looking._  He thought as he clenched his jaw shut. "You sound like an idiot, ya know that right?" He managed to smirk a little.

"Leave her alone Yami. She's new here." Honda cut in, Jonouchi silent at the moment.

"Ignore him," Minako whispered to Terry as she came in front of her a bit as did Ryugi.

"Tch, playing innocent? What a joke! Spineless worms like you make me sick." He spat out at her and Terry frowned. "You're all a bunch or fucking morons for falling for a ploy like that." Yami had her pegged as the type to mouse around, since she was so quick to apologize earlier. She had gained such a crowd easily as well. She was just another attention seeker in his book. Not expecting a response, he turned to head toward his desk.

"I don't know what your issue is, but don't go insulting people who are trying to be nice. They didn't do anything to you out of the blue. Whatever issue you have with me is with me, so keep it between us." She finally said bluntly, her eyes leveled with his. He was shocked by this. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was cut off by her. "Furthermore, I haven't said a thing to you and you've just been lashing out at me for no reason. Don't just assume me being silent means I'm spineless or weak. It just means I don't want to further the issue you have going on." She did not back down as they glared at one another. Finally he looked away with a click of his tongue and some muttered words as he turned and continued towards a group of snickering students. The brunette girl who was once glared at her was all over the one called Yami without a care, her eyes set on Terry as she kissed him. This shocked her a bit, but she was mostly confused by the display and looked away quickly as others groaned for one reason or another. Yami could not even concentrate on the kiss from his girlfriend, annoyed by the newcomer again.

 _Who the fuck does she think is? Bitch doesn't know jackshit about me._  He thought as he broke the kiss and sighed again.

"Quit whoring around. This is a school not a brothel." A strong voice called out from behind Terry, but it was unknown who he was referring. Before anyone could ask he was headed to the door. "This racket is annoying." Seto muttered and walked past them coldly with his work and lunch. A gaggle of girls was soon after him as they gushed over the 'cold prince'. Yami rolled his eyes at his reaction and looked to the gang he was with at the moment.

"What's wrong?" The brunette pouted and Yami bit his tongue.

"Nothing," he said simply. "Leave it be Anzu." He said curtly as she opened her mouth to ask again. He really did not want to talk about this new girl like everyone else. This had to cinch it. Today was a bad day and the start should have been a big enough warning as is. He slumped in to his seat and kicked his feet on top of his desk as he glared at the wall beside him. "Fucking bitch, so what if I took your silence as weak? Who would assume some moral crap like that...thinking I have some issue going on." He grumbled to himself as Anzu rambled on about her day thus far and what he missed. Normally he would listen to her, but his mood was far too sour for her complaints.


	6. The Great Race Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gym time finally rolls around and it's time for races to begin, but what's a race without a little bet?

The rest of the day went by smoothly until everyone got up and Terry was confused for a moment. She watched as they class was so animated, the girls split from the boys all the sudden. Before she even had to ask, Minako came up to her and tapped on her shoulder.

"We're headed to P.E. now, so just follow me." She smiled at her as they headed down to the girl's locker room.

"Ah yes, I remember now! Luckily I brought some clothes!" She grinned, a bag in hand. It was nothing fancy, an old pair of basketball shorts and a plain tee. It was a little late for her to order a uniform, so she was given the option to wear something as close as she could to the current uniform or a uniform-esque. Minako smiled excitedly at this and soon was asking Terry a question per second about her life before here and before she had started to travel the word. "Oh-uh-so-ok-I-hold on!" She tried to answer one question but the next was fired far too quickly for her to even utter a proper fragment let alone a sentence. She quickly clapped her hands over Minako's mouth and heaved a sigh of relief at the brief pause. "One question at a time please. I'm not superwoman." She laughed a little nervously as Minako went red in the face.

"Oh geez, I'm so sorry! I tend to get ahead of myself without thinking." She giggled softly as she knocked on her own head lightly. "Oh, we better get ready first and head out!" She glanced at the clock and Terry followed suit to get ready as well.

Soon enough she found herself outside in the sun and she smiled brightly as she reached out to stretch out her muscles. She as certainly not used to being so idle as the rest of the students are. The lessons were fun most of the time, but she was not to happy about being so cooped up all the time. At least they had physical education. She turned to Minami and waved to her to signal where she was waiting. Anko was walking by at this moment and sharply jostled pass her with a bony shoulder. Terry was pretty tall in comparison to many of the girls here so the shoulder had struck her bicep and she frowned to Anzu. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was in your way." She smiled at her and stepped aside so she could pass. "You're OK right?"

_Is she seriously asking me if I'm alright?_  Anzu gaped at Terry.  _She can't be **that**  stupid. I mean obviously I had to have hit her! No, she's trying to make a fool of me isn't she?! This bitch, what the fuck is up with her?! Being all over Yami like that._ She upturned her nose to Terry with a grunt of distaste and walked away with her mini entourage. Terry blinked after her, confused by the sudden attitude and shrugged it off as Minako reached her.

"Are you okay? You really have some interesting first day luck huh?" She frowned. "First Yami and now her?" She muttered in distaste at this and Terry shook her head.

"I met up with Joey after so long and I met you guys! I had lunch on the rooftop with friends for the first time too!" Terry listed in argument to the negative. "No day is perfect with nothing but good luck, you just have to pay attention to the best of it." She had lived a life that was filled with a lot of danger as well as wonder. She had learned to count her blessings whenever she got the chance since he never knew when it would end for her.

"I would be so done with today by now. You really have a lot of patience! My nerves would've gotten to me after the first sign of trouble!"

"Nah, I've been trained to be that way I suppose." She waved off nonchalantly as they all headed toward the track and started to to warm up stretches. As per usual, the boys whistled and called out to Anzu and her band of misfit flirts who purposely exaggerated their poses and sounds a bit. Terry silently stretched with Minako as she took in the situation and found herself comparing it to the animals of the wild. It amused her a little at how this was so very similar to one strutting to another to see who would dare do to earn. At the sound of a whistle she was ripped from her thoughts just as Jonouchi shouted out to her and she waved to him as he excitedly waved back. Honda and Ryugi tried to gain the attention of any girl they can but jokingly knocked over Jonouchi to grab her attention. The girls giggled at the lighthearted antics before the whistle was sounded again and they were set to line up.

A brief explanation was set out as to what the class would be for today since the weather was warm but not too warm. The chosen activity was running and they were allowed to have a race. Terry excitedly shot her hand up in the air when the coach had asked fro volunteers. Her energy was clearly off the charts and the coach loved it. Some girls groaned in annoyance at this while others either joined in or giggled a little at the cuteness of it all. It seemed like she was a kid in a teenager's body.

"Alright, this is what I'm talking about! Now, who else wants to go first?" He asked and a few girls raised their hands when Anzu stood up.

"I'll join the first round." She said, the statement a surprise to almost everyone there. Though she did not look it, Anzu was pretty athletic and was one of the better runners in their class. Many girls tried to not beat her though since they feared the bullying she may sick on them.

"I'll race too!" A tomboy girl shouted out from behind Terry and her less athletic and more dolled up friend reluctantly stood at this.

"I guess I'll run too...."

"Excellent! This is perfect! Alright ladies get ready at the startling lines!" The coach shouted and Terry took the closest spot to her and began to stretch again. The guys from the class came to watch as well since all the excitement caught their attention. They all started to either take bets or make groups for cheer squads with the girl. Meanwhile, Terry happily chatted away with the two other classmates, oblivious to the glare that was set on her by Anzu. Feeling a little, the two warned her and she turned to see Anzu all over Yami once again and shrugged without a care. The reaction was something they had not expected and gaped a bit at her.

"What? I don't see what's the issue with her showing affection to her boyfriend. I mean it's a bit weird that she looks at me when she does...but to each their own right? Maybe she likes an audience?" She thought aloud and the girls turned red before they finally burst with laughter at her words. They definitely liked her, but they also worried about what she was getting herself in to. Terry merely looked at the two girls in confusion and looked back briefly to see if she missed something.

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Sakura, the girly one, assured her.

"Yeah, it's what you said more so than anything." Hikaru added, which earned her a thwack from her friend that soon led to a small bickering that had Terry laughing at the exchange. This made the two stop and stare a bit before they grinned and laughed at themselves.

"I'm glad I agreed to attend proper school my final high school year."

"Alright ladies! Last minutes to stretch and line up!" The coach shouted and the class cheered excitedly as Anzu took her spot and knocked Terry off balance and she went tumbling to the ground since she was mid stretch.

"Are you sure you did half the shit you said? I mean seriously?" She scoffed, insinuating that Terry was lying about her life. "I bet your dad is a real filthy fat ass freeloader." She smirked and opened her mouth to say more, but was cut off by Terry's friends who had overheard the comments.

"Hey, that ain't fair!" Hikaru shouted. "Leave her alone!"

"Shut your mouth Mizaki!" Sakura snapped at her as Terry stood up and came face to face with Anzu. 

"Apologize. Don't you dare speak of my father. EVER." She said bluntly, her father the only family she had all her life.

"Excuse you? I'm not going to apologize-you know what, if you win I'll apologize. Deal?" Anzu grinned wickedly as she sized Terry up. "If you lose, you admit that you lied."

"Deal," Terry said simply and quickly got in to position to run. Anzu smirked as she lined up next to Terry.

"I've never lost a race. Good luck." Anzu taunted but froze as she saw a deadly confident smirk on her opponent's lips.

"There's a first time for everything. So far you've done nothing but run your mouth. It's time to shut up and race." She said coldly, her loved ones the only people she would do anything for to protect and keep smiling. She did not even look at Anzu as she spoke, her focus on the track before her and her goal set in mind. This reaction startled Anzu greatly, the fierce look had her stumble a bit for a comeback but she had no time to speak as the coach called them to get on the marks.

_I'll show this bitch. Thinking she's hot shit for being new. Lying bitch._


	7. The Great Race Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another surprise comes knocking Yami's world as the race comes to an end.

As soon as the bell sounded for the next class, Yami was awake and alert like never before. It was the one class he would never miss-P.E. It was a time where students could release the pent up energy that came from sitting at a desk all day. A time he was allowed to run amok his emotions in a healthy form of channeling. Not to mention, like any other hormonal straight teenage boy, he was allowed to watch the girls stretch and play as well.

 _The only thing that makes coming to this hell hole worth it._  A small grin curled on the corners of his lips as he walked down the halls to the guy's changing room. He normally walked in and out quickly to avoid the stupid talk of others, but today was different. Today, the talk of the town was the new girl. Was she athletic as she said she was? Would she prove her stories true or false? The clothes she had on today gave no hint of her figure aside from that she is slender, pretty tall for their average heights in class, and female. At first the conversation annoyed it.  _Who really fucking care? Does it matter if she lied about that shit? So she made huge claims and comes out to be a fraud like everyone else-whoopdie-fucking-doo!_  Though he thought this, his mind was actually running possible scenarios of what she looked like and what her abilities were to these stories he had overheard about.

"Daydreaming about the new girl already?" A familiar voice rang in his ear suddenly, ripping Yami from his thoughts as he looked to see his friend Kyohei.

"Right, I have a girlfriend remember."

"So? Does looking ever really hurt to look? I mean they wear those short sorts and tight shirts for us to look though they bullshit and say it's not for that." Kyohei was one of the few people Yami found to be genuine. He was blunt in his words as well as his actions. He had a temper and admitted it and was able to get what he wanted in life. He had taught Yami that those who play fair are always fodder for those strong enough to climb the needed hills to get to the top. At first Yami had thought him crazy, but was soon awakened to the disparity of reality.

"True," he muttered to himself a bit as he changed in to his sweats for the day and headed out to the field with the class. As per usual he noted the girls were dressed as Kyohei said they would be, in a manner that was obviously attention seeking. There were the few girls that wore loose fitted or guy clothing like Hikaru. There there were the overly dolled up ones like Sakura where you were unsure if it was for show or if the in fact enjoyed dressing in a manner as that. He noted the very two he was thinking of were talking to someone in clothing that was not the uniform. There was no mistaking it-she was the new girl. He snorted at her clothes and shook his head.

 _She probably feels embarrassed for not being dressed like the others. She'll probably dress like the other girls in no time-wait, why the fuck do I care? I don't care-exactly. She's just a statistic. She's gonna prove Kyohei and me right._  He thought to himself as he noted the slight annoyance of the idea of her conforming like the others. It bugged him how this random girl got under his skin. He quickly directed his attention to Anzu and smirked a bit as she waved to him and Kyohei. He nonchalantly waved back before they were made to head over to the baseball field. That was stopped however by the sudden excitement among the girls.

There was a race between Anzu and the new girl.

This got the attention of even the coaches and so they were allowed to observe the new development. Yami knew Anzu would win. She was one of the better runners in the girls in class. The new girl definitely had her death wish. He leaned up against the tree as Kyohei went closer to eye the girls a bit as he faked attention to the race. Seto stood beside Yami with his arms crossed, much to the tri-haired punks surprise.

"Joining us for P.E.?" He teased lightly, which earned him a grunt from the tall brunette business tycoon.

"I have to show up some times. What's going on?"

"There's gonna be a race between Anzu and that new chick." Yami answered coolly, as if the win had already taken place. "Anzu will show her her place."

"We'll see about that. The new girl has already surprised us a few times with sassing you and now this." Seto smirked a bit, not a fan of Anzu. He was not an instant fan of the new girl either, but she had put Yami in his place and that showed she had some guts worthy of respect. Yami frowned at this and turned to the race as the coaches shouted for the racers to get ready.

"Ready, Set, GO!" One shouted as the other blew the whistle. Instantly the girls were off and the classmates began to cheer. Sakura normally put zero effort in this class, but to many's surprise she was actually attempting-though she was bound to be last. Hikaru had burst forth with great energy, which gave a lead for a bit. By the middle of the first lap she was taken over by Anzu and the new girl. Everyone's eyes were now on the two who had the bet. Yami watched the two, Anzu easily in the lead. He snorted and looked away, there was no point to watch this since she was bound to give up and slow down by now.

"Oh ho," Seto mumbled to himself and Yami saw a smirk on his face and the cheers went silent for a moment before they erupted loudly again. He quickly turned back to the race to see that Terry had passed Anzu. When it happened he was not sure, but there she was in the lead.

 _What the fuck? How, she was just behind her! People usually give out by now!_  He thought as he grit his teeth.

Anzu glared at Terry was now ahead of her. In a panic she quickly tried to shorten the distance between them. As she neared Terry, a smirk came to her lips and she looked to the girl beside her. What she had not expected was the sudden burst that came from Terry that pushed her ahead once again. It definitely proved that in a pinch, Terry had reserved energy to use to help her push onward. Her eyes were set on the track ahead and she had not even glanced at Anzu. The way her hair whipped in the wind was memorizing. Yami could not take his eyes off of her at the grace and poise she had as she ran.

Quickly she lapped Sakura again, then Hikaru, and soon enough she lapped Anzu who had just lapped Hikaru. It was all over as time stilled and Terry came to a halt at the end of her fourth lap. She was panting, but not as heavily as the other girls. Sakura had slowed to a jogging pace and managed to convince Hikaru as well to join her as Anzu heaved angrily at the turn of events. Yami gaped along with the others as her band of friends began to cheer and ran up to her. The boys hoisted Terry up on to their shoulders and the class cheered her name loudly as Anzu's friends headed over to her. The way the sun hit her smiling face had Yami spellbound. Her lightly tanned skin glistened in the light from her sweat as her eyes sparkled like precious stones. The coaches quickly broke the cheering crowd and Terry was aloud back on Earth, the spell that held Yami broken and he quickly let out the breath he had no idea he was holding.

He was about to berate himself when Terry walked up to Anzu. He quickly made his way over to his girlfriend when he stopped just behind Terry at her words.

"You know what you need to do. You lost." She said simply.

"What," Anzu snapped but noted Terry was not joking and clicked her tongue. "Alright, fine, you didn't lie."

"I don't care about that, apologize about what you said about my father." She stated bluntly soon after and soon enough silence fell over the class as Sakura and Hikaru came up to. Anzu growled a bit at this, a set frown on Yami's lips.

"What?" Yami raised a brow at this before Anzu could speak and she paled a bit at his gaze.

"N-nothing, I'm sorry alright?" She said quickly and walked away. Yami followed after Anzu, not even bothered to push pass Terry. What had transpired was unknown to him, but he was not about to let this slide with his girlfriend.


	8. Morning Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jonouchi gets the invite of a lifetime, but does this first morning bode well for his agreeing?

Terry watched as Yami headed over to Anzu, confused by him. He hated her for some reason and he got under Jonouchi's skin. He was a bad attitude punk that seemed to get away with a lot of things with the others. It made no sense to her as to why. She had chalked it up to her outside experiences making her different and more able to vocalize her opinion. She had been through all kinds of situations which helped her gain some grounding as to how to deal with this new world. She turned back to her friends as a hand clapped down on to her shoulder.

"Way to go Ter-bear!" Jonouchi broadly grinned, her smile mimicking his in an instant. "What got you so fired up though? You seemed pretty tense about something just now."

"Oh, she made a comment about my dad. She can say whatever she wants about me, I don't care. She's crossing a big line when it comes to my friends and family." She said firmly as Jonuchi frowned at the information.

"That's fucked up! Why I oughtta give her her a piece of my mind for saying that crap!" He began to roll up his sleeves, but was stopped by Terry who grabbed his arm.

"She apologized so it doesn't matter. If she does it again while you're around you can do whatever. For now she kept up her end and we gotta start heading back." She pointed to the classmates that were heading back inside. The rest of the school went by without any more trouble much to Terry's relief. On the way home she got to ride the train with Jonouchi, which made her extremely happy. It was a little upsetting Minako could not join the, but she had club activities to do. As they rode the train, Jonouchi started to fill-in Terry on his day to day life that they were unable to to do properly while she was abroad. There many days at a time she was no where near proper modern civilization that had access to the internet so a letter would have been sent and he would have replied via e-mail since she was always moving around and for him to mail her would not be wise. She happily listened to what he had to say, most of the days repeated his usual routine of avoiding his drunk father. She never liked to hear about that part, since he was beat quite a few times. She had actually spoken about Jonouchi living with them to her father and he was more than happy to agree since he was up to date on the surrogate son of his as well.

"And that's pretty much it for now. I gotta keep somethings a secret or I'll end up talking your ear off!" He laughed off cheerily which made Terry smile back at him.

"I don't mind if you keep going. I really wish I was here more often than not...but I also don't regret the life I've led either...if that makes sense."

"Yeah, I ge'chya." He thumbed his nose and winked at her.

"Oh, also, if you don't mind that is...uhm, I talked to dad about it too! Just uhm, if you don't want to live with your dad you can come live with us. We don't mind. Sounds like you're still looking for a place, so why not with us?" She offered him. He gaped a bit at her sudden offer, knocked off balance by the sudden stop of the train in the stupor.

"A-are you serious?!" He managed to say finally after her scrambled back on to his feet. "Like serious serious?!"

"Yes, I'm serious. Yes, we're serious serious!" She smiled softly at him but soon was laughing as he suddenly scooped her up in a tight hug and spun her around as he sang off key that he now has a new home. She let him bask in the happiness, glad that she was able to help him in some way. "OK, I think the whole station gets that you can live with us, now can we please get going?"

Reluctantly he let her go and allowed her to lead him to where he was soon to call his home as well. As she entered the house, she called out to her father letting him know she was home with Joey. A familiar face peeked out from the kitchen with a warm smile before he popped back in the kitchen only to step out and greet them both.

"Welcome back, how was school? Jonouchi, it's been ages!" Mr. Sharif said as he shook hands with him and patted his shoulder. "My you've grown in to quite the strapping young gentleman I see!" He praised him as if he were his own son which made Jonouchi's chest puff with pride as well as he stood a little straighter. Terry giggled to herself as her father fluffed up Jonouchi, excusing herself to the kitchen to finish preparation for dinner. Soon enough the three of them were at the dining table, boxes piled all around them to the ceiling. The lively conversation smoothly transitioned from one topic to the next until it was Terry's task to do the dishes while Mr. Sharif and Jonouchi headed to his home to grab his things. Soon enough they are back with a good portion of things and he is settled in to the mostly set guestroom.

The night ticked away silently until the sun rose high in to the sky and glared through the bedroom window. Jonouchi grumbled and threw the covers over his head as the light hit his face. The lack of curtains allowed the harsh light rain down on him mercilessly.

"Five more minutes…." He mumbled into the pillow that he threw over his head as someone came knocking at the door. He tried to go back to his beautiful dream of defeating Kaiba in a verbal match, being swarmed by fan girls all over, and living the rock star life while having all of his friends with him, especially Atem. Just as he was about to kiss a hot brunette, another knock smeared the image and he is popped back into reality.  _Couldn't they have been a few seconds late? I almost got to kiss the head cheerleader!_  He thought sourly, scowling at the door.

"It's time for breakfast Jonouchi." Terry's voice called out from the other side. Instantly his anger towards the dream disrupter dissipated as he scrambled from under the covers to get to the table. He tried to stand up but his feet got caught up in the sheets and he ended up falling to the ground with a huge thud. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…peachy…." He hoarsely responded, trying to hold off the pain as he steadied himself on to his feet again. He quickly dressed for school and pulled open the door. "Morning!"

"G'dmorning," Terry said happily and handed him a new toothbrush. "There is toothpaste in the bathroom mirror down here." She pointed to the bathroom door. "The kitchen is to the right when you get to the end of the hall after you come down the steps. You probably remember it from last night. It isn't that big of a place. See you at the table." She smiled and allowed him to freshen up properly by heading back to the kitchen. He followed her directions, but somehow managed to be back upstairs again and in a different part of the house it seemed to him.

_Now how the hell did I get up here? There house isn't that big! She said take a left and go down the hall, but there were stairs…. Maybe their kitchen is upstairs._  He shrugged and looked at the door down the hall from him. With a slight scratch to his head, he walked over to the slightly ajar door and pulled it open. He is instantly frozen in utter shock at the sight that greeted him. There she was, Terry, her right side facing him in only a skirt and undergarments. His face turned bright red as his eyes bug out. Once he grabbed a hold of himself from the shock, he covered his eyes and slammed the door shut behind him. "I didn't mean to do that sorry!" He quickly shouted as he ran, falling backwards down the stairs as he stumbled on his own feet.

Terry's head snapped to her door once it slammed, not sure what happened at first. The sound of his hasty apology had her a bit more confused but the sudden sound of something falling down the steps took precedence in her mind. Hastily she finished dressing in a look similar to the uniform and ran out to the stairs to find her swirly eyed fallen companion.

"Are you all right?" She asked concerned, as she helped him back on his feet. "What happened?"

"I don't know…." He held his head until the room stopped spinning and the birds that spun around him fluttered off. He instantly recalled the sight of Terry however and his face grew dark red.

"Are you feeling all right?" She placed a hand on his forehead."Your face is red!"

"I'm fine, I just fell." He moved his head away. "I kind of walked in on you in your room while you were changing and uhm yeah…." He scratched his head, nervously laughing. He looked down in shame as it was now Terry's turn to be red.

"A-accidents happen all the time. It's okay…I should check to see if I shut the door completely next time." She rationalized.  _It's not like he was trying to look at me._  She cleared her throat a bit and looked at how ashamed he is. "I'm not upset Joey, promise."

"Really…?" His expression perked up a bit and he hugged her tightly in joy, "YAY!" She smiled along with him and led him to the dining room where the food was set already.

"My dad left earlier than us because his job called him in so it's pretty much just us. " She asked as she noted his confusion of only two place settings.

"Uhm…okay, can we stop by my place? I need to grab one last thing that I forgot last night."

"Oh sure, we should probably eat quickly then. Time's running out." She pointed to the clock and he nodded his head. He did not want to be their when his dad woke up, the man he called father pretty drunk last night as is and almost caused a fight with Terry's father. He inhaled the food and helped Terry clean up so they can quickly run to his place and then school. They rushed over as soon as they were done and he quickly snuck in through the fire escape while telling her to stay in the alley. He stumbled into the apartment with a thud but luckily his father snored away. He rolled his eyes at the sight of the poor excuse of a man that was passed out with alcohol bottles strewn all over before he gathered the last of his needed possessions and jumped down the fire escape with ease.

"Shall we?" He dusted himself off. The lack of response had him looking up. Realizing that Terry is nowhere in sight, he became suddenly very concerned and began to look around. Suddenly he felt someone grab his wrist and he turned to see the assailant.

"Let's shall!" Terry shouted as she tugged him along, running.

"Hey wait, why are we running?" He asked. They had more than enough time to reach school in time by walking. This was not a good sign and the sound of running behind them had him turn to loo. A few thugs that he used to rough up for being troublesome with him were hot on their tail.  _What the hell? Why are they chasing us?_  "What did you do? I left you for about ten minutes! Terry!"


	9. Morning Run Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now why exactly was she running?

"Run now, talk later!" She answered back to him as she zigzagged through the crowded streets and sidewalks that lead to the haven that was the train station. There was no way she would be able to properly reach there with Jonouchi behind her so she quickly calculated shortcuts as she ran. Her eyes lit up as she saw a clear cut path straight ahead and went for it. The only real obstacle was a bench, but that was hardly a problem for her. With a heavy foot to the top of the back of the bench that currently occupied two people she bounded over the bench as the two who sat their looked away bashfully from one another, oblivious to the teen girl that was passing between them. Jonouchi had not caught on to this plan however, and as the two had turned to face one another for a fateful kiss-his face came dead between them as he hit the bench and their lips unceremoniously met his cheeks. They opened their eyes at the odd feel, only to jump back at the sight of some strange teenager being dragged by another. He vaulted over the bench soon after a hasty apology only to be caught on to a fence as he climbed over and fell to the ground face first.

"Are you okay?" Terry huffed a bit, huge grin plastered on her face as they took the moment to catch their breaths.

"Oh yes, totally peachy!" He scowled at her as he panted on the ground. "Mind tell me now why the hell we're running as if our lives depend on it?!"

"Oh, that's because," she began to speak but the sudden shout of some aggressive and angry guys was heard not to far off.

"There she is, get that bitch!" One shouted as the duo turned to the source of the shout.

"Explanation is gonna have to wait!" She grabbed his hand once again and he groaned as they were off once again. The band of hooligans carelessly shoved passed the couple and hurtled over the fence, the obstacles buying time for Terry and Jonouchi.

"You so owe me an explanation for this!" He shouted as he finally caught up to her pace so that he was not victim to her quick decision making.

"Don't worry, I will!" She promised as they ran, the train station in sight. Relief flooded Jonouchi as his feet began to ache and burn while all of his muscles that he never exercised as much not throbbed with vengeance. "What did I do to deserve this?!" He shouted out to no one as it seemed hope was lost, but by some luck the managed to slip in to the train and left behind the group of teens that were cursing up a storm on the platform that was not behind them.

Hunched over in whatever space he had, Jonouchi panted feverishly for much needed oxygen as the pain of his body settled in.

"Explain. Now." He managed to get out and Terry nodded.

"So, while you were grabbing what you needed I overheard those guys being jerks to some younger kids. They looked to be grade schoolers. I couldn't just ignore it, so I decided to make a diversion to give the kids a chance to run. I picked up a nearby rock and I chucked it at the back of their heads before the got a chance to seriously wail on the two kids. I couldn't really see them, I was too busy taunting those guys and getting them to come after me instead...which is when I grabbed your hand and ran for it." She said proudly.

"You, they, we, my...were they okay at least?" He whimpered a little at first but shook his head.  _Why am I not surprised you'd do this? You've always been a righteous troublemaker._  He snorted lightly to himself.

"I don't know, I hope so...I mean those were all the goons there so I'm sure they're in a safe area now." She frowned, not liking that she had no clue on how to check on them.

"I'm sure they're fine. Next time though, don't go wandering off and dragging me through deathtraps!" He scowled at her as he stood up straight and she looked to him apologetically.

_It's not like I purposely wanted to hurt you! It just sorta happened!_  She thought as the doors he was leaning against began to open. She was about to warn him, but it was too late. He went tumbling down on to the platform. She quickly moved to help him back up, the other passengers rushing off to where they need to go. "I'm thinking this has to be one of those days where everything is about literally not knowing what is going to happen next." She laughed as he grumbled back on to his feet.

"You can say that again, damn that hurt! It seems like me and the ground are destined to meet today."

"Mother Earth and the pavement just love you!" She teased as she pulled his cheek. He playfully bit at her fingers before letting out a much needed sigh. "Well, at least the running is over with hunh? I don't think I could ru- **un any why are we running again**?!" He shouted in exasperation as Terry suddenly yanked his arm again.

"We're late!" She shouted back, point to a clock on a nearby building. He glanced at the clock and gaped.

"Oh shit, if I'm late again, I'm getting after school detention for sure!" A sudden surge of energy burst through him and soon the tables were turned with him pulling her along. "Pick up the pace woman! I've got to get to school or else I'm doomed!"

She laughed at his sudden energy and quickly caught up to speed with him. They tossed their shoes in to the lockers and hopped down the hall in to their slippers. They managed to stumble in one after the other just before the bell rang.

"Made it!" He exclaimed in pride and Terry sighed with relief, having flopped to the floor on to her butt. Jonouchi is full out on the floor, having dived into the class like a baseball player skidding to home base in the last moments of the game. They both sat their gasping for breath before looking at one another and laughing heartily. The teacher walked in soon after, looking at the two and they laugh even harder before being told to head to their seats. They quickly got up, zipping their lips and following the orders, both snickering a bit as they take their seats and get the needed books out.

Though hectic, the morning was one they would not soon forget as they looked at each other with one last grin. Their classmates laughed at the scene that unfolded, but were quickly settled down by the homeroom teacher that started to take attendance. Terry listened intently to the roll call, observing how she must respond as she watched the other student. As usual, Yami was not present, but when the teacher called out the name Atem no one responded. Terry frowned a little when she noted Anzu was glaring daggers at her, as if she was the reason for the absence.

_Atem...his name is Atem? Then why does everyone call him Yami? Is he part Egyptian? That's definitely an Egyptian name. It's a nice name though...a powerful one at that. Seto Kaiba is absent too? That's strange...but then again, Joey said he runs and owns his own company. I knew his name sounded familiar. Is it common for both of them to be absent?_  "Present," she called out at the sound of her name and this the school day had begun.


	10. Break Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What does Anzu have to say about the bet?

Yami walked up to Anzu and grabbed her arm that had swung back in her stomping gait. His eyes showed no ounce of amusement or sympathy for her loss. The two girls beside her tensed at this look and looked between one another to try and save their friend if need be. As if on cue, fat tears welled in to Anzu's eyes as if she was trying to keep a strong front. She choked back a sob and weakly struggled to free her arm from his grasp.

"Leave me alone Yami-,"

"Quit the damned crocodile tear waterworks crap. I'm not buying that bullshit right now." His words were blunt, but his tone was sharp. His determination to seek this truth was obvious in his eyes and the two girls quickly tried to step in.

"It's not what you think!" The wavy haired one spoke up first.

"Yeah, that girl was a real bitch to Annie!" The fake-blonde added on to the tale. Before they were able to weave anymore of the tale Yami looked at them with a cold glare and were silenced with slight growl.

"Did I ask you two? Last I checked, I was looking at Anzu who was involved in this. So unless either of you suddenly became Anzu, you better shut the fuck up." Once the two shrunk back in to silence, his gaze turned back to his girlfriend whose mouth was agape. "Well?" His tongue clicked at his teeth impatiently as he awaited the answer.

"You're going to believe that newbie ass kisser instead of  **me** ,  **your girlfriend**?"

"My girlfriend has yet to say a damned thing to me about this. Instead she tried fake tears and her screechy friends tried covering her ass. Now she's avoiding more by trying to pin this shit on me. If ya ask me, she's signing her own plea of guilty." Anzu found herself at a loss for words at this moment, unsure of whether to scream and shout, cry and whine, or slap him and give the silent treatment until he apologized to her or this all blew over as nothing ever happened.

_What's his deal anyway? Not like I did anything his brother or something._  The fact that he was so cross over what he had heard was beyond her at this moment. He normally never cared for the things she did and laughed along with her or just did his own thing. Suddenly this new girl came along and now he was opposing her. "Why are you so upset over this?"

"Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"Did you insult her father?" The question made no sense to Anzu. This girl was a nobody to them. She knew Jonouchi, a former friend, but that was it.

"Yeah, so what?" The words fired back at him before she was able to properly think. Her charged emotions not allowing her to reason.

"What the hell Anzu? Why would you go insulting someone's family like that? That's a shitty move and you know it." It dawned upon Anzu why he was so angry. Yami was not upset over her racing or insulting the girl, his moral compass was still around though minimally. It made her sick to think he was able to have some sympathy for a fake like Terry.

"It wasn't your dad or anyone who matters' dad, so what's the big deal?" Her eyes narrowed at the sudden lecture she was being given.

"Doesn't matter if she was a kid from down the block we barely spoke to or your best friend since fucking birth! A father is a father and you know I don't tolerate that crap. You really need to get your priorities straight cause you're antics are just becoming a pain in the ass."

"Oh yeah? What about you 'Mr. High-and-Mighty? You think you're any better because you have this one itty bitty rule I find to be a complete bullshit rule? You've done your share of jacked up stuff too, worse than saying a few things about someone at that! My saying anything about her dad is saint work in comparison!" Her voice got louder and shriller as she spoke.

"I don't do anything  **that**  bad Anzu! Quit making it sound like I murder people for some gang war!" His own voice became louder at her rising voice. "I'm not saying I'm high and might anything either! I'm saying you're pulling low blow crap nowadays. Before I thought it was slip ups, but this ain't a slip up!"

"What if I'm tired of living by your damned code of ethics? I'm my own person Yami, I can do whatever the hell I want! If you don't like it, than leave!"

Suddenly the world seemed to go silent as Yami stood there, his lips in a firm line as he glared at Anzu. Normally, when she would throw the threat of leaving or daring him to leave, he would back down. He caved at the thought of losing her and her being off with someone else. Those sick sinking feelings would swell in his lower abdomen along with a hole slowly burrowing in his chest. This time, none of that happened though. This time was the last time. This time, he grit his teeth and kept his head up.

"Fine, we're through." The words came out of his mouth seamlessly. "Makes my life a helluva lot easier." With a pivot on his heel, he left the trio of girls without a glance back. His head was held high and shoulders squared with pride as if a heavy weight was suddenly lifted off of him. The world was not crumbling away beneath him as he feared it would. The sky was suddenly not cracked asunder. Life was moving along as it was intended to.

_Great, I just broke up with Anzu because of her then! I was gonna do it on my own as is...now I owe it to her that I'm free of those pain in the ass obligations._  Wordlessly he attended the rest of the classes, answering the questions without any smart remarks if he answered at all. The teachers were able to tell something was different but they dared not tread to find out. He was behaving in class and that was all that mattered at the moment.  _Dammit, I can't believe she was the push!_  One foot was always out the door, halfway gone. The fears had him choked on the other. The worry of being alone and being wrong had him held in place.


	11. Morning Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a break-up, nothing is more inviting than a warm bed and sleep. What does the next day hold for him though with already one hectic day of new kid 2 Yami 0?

The rest of the day had gone by in a blur for Yami, he was unsure of what he was supposed to do now. He was not about to go to Terry and thank her for the needed insight. He was no longer obligated to apologize for Anzu again either. Though, some part of him was against his silence. He was her boyfriend at the time. It was only right that he apologize. He shook it off though as he headed off to pickup his younger brother from school. The sight of the smiling ball of energy easily wiped away any worries and distracted him from the hectic day. He only prayed it was over.

As they walked home, Yugi animatedly spoke about his day with Mokuba and the fact that the class found him and Seto super awesome. It was a dead tie to see whose brother was better, but Yugi insisted it was his own repeatedly in his recap. The repetition and praise gave the teenager a much needed ego boost.

_Thanks Yugi,_  he ruffled his brothers hair as they sat on the train home and soon came up the shop that made up the front first floor of their house. "We're home," Yami called out.

"We're back!" Yugi excitedly chimed as he kicked off his shoes and ran but instantly stopped and back tracked. He had noticed how his older brother put his own shoes away so to be more like him Yugi began to be a little more tidy as well. He quickly slipped his shoes right next to wear Yami put his own and grinned at his brother before he dashed to the kitchen and found their mother who had welcomed them home from the kitchen. He sauntered after Yugi and greeted his mom with as smile before he patted his grandfather on the shoulder.

"How was school?" She asked sweetly, but before Yami could say to not talk about it Yugi had pulled out a drawing from his backpack and hopped in place as he tried to bring it to his mother's eye level.

"I drew this for you!"

"Oh why thank you Yugi, it's lovely!"

"I'm gonna go wash up and relax a bit. I had something on the way to pick up Yugi so I'm not that hungry." Yami cut in quickly as Yugi ran to show off to his grandfather who approved of the art as well.

"Oh ok sweetie, I'll leave a plate for you wrapped in the fridge in case you get hungry later OK?" She smiled at her son, able to tell something was off but she was not about to cause a fight. He was a young adult now and she had to let him come to her when he felt he needed to. She cupped his cheek in her hand and simply smiled at him warmly. It was times like these that she wished her husband was still alive. He would have been perfect for these tasks.

With a soft thank you, Yami retired to his room and plopped on to his bed after he stripped down to his underwear. The stress of today finally hit him and fatigue took over. The world slowly became black as his eyelids drooped shut and sleep took over. The next thing he knew, there was a consistent knocking at his door and he groaned in irritation.

"Atem sweetie, you're cutting it close to missing school. Yugi even left ahead of you." He heard his mother's voice call from the other side of the room. He was instantly snapped back to reality by the news of Yugi going to school alone. That was new.

"What do you mean he left without me?!" He asked hurriedly as he started to get dressed for school. "He can't go all that way alone! Why didn't you guys wake me?" He shouted as he hopped around and fumbled in to some semblance of appropriate clothing in his mind. Without a word he had ran out of the house and off in the direction of the school.

"We tried to wake you! Mokuba was waiting for him supposedly!" She shouted out after him as he ran and she sighed to herself. "Honestly, boys." She shook her head with a small smile.

"They will be what they are." Her father in-law answered with a chuckle and she sighed with a small shrug as the two went out to set up the shop for the day.

Meanwhile Atem flipped open his phone and dialed a number. He impatiently tapped his toe as he heard the ringing tone. "Pick-up dammit, you know I don't call for now reason!" He growled to himself.  _Thank fucking you!_ "Yo Seto, do you have Yugi?" He hurriedly asked as soon as he heard someone picked up.

"No, why would I?" An irritated voice answered him back.

"My mom said he went to go meet up with Mokuba. I didn't wake up in time to take him to school." He explained. "Skip the jokes and tell me, is he there with Mokuba?" He heard sigh on the other side and waited, the silence was deafening almost as he awaited good news. None came however. All he heard was Seto yelling about where his own brother was and snapped at some guards for not stopping him from leaving on his own.

"I'm going to get a search party and go look myself."

"I'll let you know if I spot 'em." Yami answered and hung up. He shoved through the crowd at the station and began his mad dash to find the missing boys.  _What the fuck was he thinking?_  He skid around the corner, noting a classmate but he was not about to stop his mission. Yugi was more important than any image he had or any bone he had to pick with someone. He came to a near crashing halt however when he heard two familiar voices not too far off.  _Yugi!_  He suddenly ran back in the direction he heard the voices and scrambled around the alleys but was stopped by the sight of none other than Terry and Jonouchi in her grasp. She ran passed him with a grin almost as she leaped through the air and Jonouchi stumbled behind her. Soon a gang of thugs was hot on their tail.  _What the fuck?_  He thought and turned to look down the alley where they came from and saw his brother and Mokuba a little dirty but safe.

The blood pounding in his ears finally began to settle as his panic slipped away and relief took its place. He ran up to them and hugged them tight. He was not worried about what happened at the moment. All that mattered was he found them. He quickly shot Seto a text about the boys and where they were located at the moment.

"You two got some serious explaining to do! For now we wait for Seto." He scolded the two, clenching his jaw to keep from cursing his life away. The two looked down apologetically before they latched on to Yami who slipped to the ground and leaned back against the building.  _Goddamn way to shave years off my life!_

It was not long before Seto found them and he grabbed up his own brother in a tight embrace. "What the hell happened?" He demanded from Yami who stood up and dusted himself off. Fully recovered, he was able to speak more normally.

"I don't know, I was waiting for you before I asked." He said and looked at the two boys.

"W-well you both are always dropping us off and we know you're busy so we figured we'd try and go to school ourselves." Yugi explained. "You've been working late after school and you didn't even eat dinner yesterday on your night off."

"You were working late too and then were busy in a meeting. It didn't look like you would be able to drop me off this morning...so I called Yugi and we figured the two of us could manage." Mokuba spoke up finally.

"Why was Jonouchi and that girl here? Who were those guys chasing them?" Yami asked bluntly.

"They were some bullies! They wanted out lunch and whatever money we had!" Yugi puffed his cheeks in anger. "They grabbed Mokuba cause they could tell who he was and I kicked the guy in the shin!" He said proudly and Yami was unsure of how to react to that.

"They grabbed us both then and cornered us! They were totally going to wail on us when suddenly this girl called out after them and threw a rock at 'em! Next thing we knew, they forgot all about us and chased her and she grabbed Jonuochi with her."

"Do you remember what they look like?" Seto asked Yami, both unamused by this turn of events.

"Yeah, you take these two to school and I'll find out about those asswipes." He muttered to Seto and looked to Yugi. "I'mma head to my school now. Seto and Mokuba will take you to school. We'll talk about this later." He ruffled his brother's hair with the best smile he could muster at the moment. He looked up at his brother, eased by the smile and nodded his head. He ran up next to Mokuba and the two gushed to Seto about how cool the mystery girl was. Yami picked up his bag and turned down the way he had seen them run. He managed to find them trio. "So you decided to pick on my brother and his best friend, you must have death wishes." He smirked darkly as he stepped in their path. The already fatigued and ego bruised band of hoodlums looked at him and scoffed at first but froze in fear at the cold look in his eyes.

They lunged at him in hopes to overpower him, but he easily used their fatigue against them as well as his own great strength to squash them on the spot. The fight that ensued was not long and the trio that had attacked was scattered along the alley panting and beat up.

"I better not hear you shitheads messed with them again...or I'll really rearrange your screwed faces so bad your mothers would kick your asses out." He growled and walked out of the alley. A few scrapes and a bruised cheek were his valiant medals, but his mind was busy with other things to even register the pain. Terry had managed to aid him again. He hated owing people any favors, regardless of them knowing or not. He would straighten these odds out as soon as he could. This girl was crawling in to his life like some stray cat and it irked him. He knew nothing about her and wanted nothing to do with her. He already broke up with Anzu because of her, now she saved his brother from a gang of teens who could have done anything to his brother.

He looked up at the gates of his school and the voices and what could have been scenarios when silent in his head. He could already hear her mockery and superior complex of him owing her for all this.  _Just apologize and do what she says so long as it's reasonable. If she pulls crap, just walk away. She's a new kid. A no-body._  He stepped through the threshold and headed to his classroom after he stopped by the infirmary. He stood in front of the room door, his hand hesitant to open the door it seemed when an arm shot out from behind him and slid it open. He turned to see Seto walking in to the room and taking his seat. He had sent the info of the goons to the CEO not too long ago. Yami knew Seto had handled it from there after him. He sauntered in after him and stared at Terry. She finally seemed to look up at him and he squared his shoulders. "You, me, rooftop, lunch." He said bluntly. She pointed at herself and he snorted to himself.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. Rooftop at lunch.  **Alone.** " He had seen her stare at him owlishly, blinking in utter confusion as the classroom filled with whispers. The look was somewhat cute as his mouth twitched in to a quick smile as he turned and took his seat and the teacher was able to take control of the class once again.  _That should be good enough. I'll ask her if it was her and go from there._  He noted Anzu was staring at him but he ignored her as he took his seat and stared out the window into the courtyard. There was a dull pain in his chest, but he figured that was from the kick one had managed. He was not going to swell on Anzu.


	12. Rooftop Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yami confronts Terry properly for the first time.

The sound of pencil to paper filled the room along with tap and swoosh of chalk to the board, the drawl of the teacher going off about the current lesson only adding to the mundane atmosphere. It was as if the seen of Terry and Jonouchi skidding in to class had never happened. It was once again, another day of school. That was, until the sliding door of the class suddenly snapped opened. Most of the class looked up to see none other than Seto Kaiba walking, but what was surprising was the other student. Atem Moto. The teacher was just as much surprised as well, unsure of what to say since Seto Kaiba was involved in this. The room had become pin drop silent as he stepped in after Seto and stopped in front of the one student who had not looked up. Terry was finishing a sentence when she felt a pair of eyes on her. Actually, she felt many and finally looked up to see the last person she expected before her. She looked behind her to make sure she was not mistaken. Nope, he was definitely staring at her.

"You, me, rooftop, lunch." He said bluntly. She had to be mistaken now.

 _There's no way he's talking to me. I mean he **hates** me. Albeit, I don't know  **why** , the fact still stands. _"Me?" She pointed at herself and he snorted to himself. She peered at him owlishly, blinking in utter confusion as whispers suddenly begin among the students.

"Yeah, you. Rooftop at lunch.  **Alone.** " With that said, he turned and took his seat as the teacher was able to take control of the class once again.  _That should be good enough. I'll ask her if it was her and go from there._

"Uh, what was  **that**  about?" Jonouchi whispered to Terry.

"I...really don't know..." She muttered as she looked at him. Yet again, he had thrown her for a loop. One moment he was jabbing at her, the next he was as if she never existed. Now he was asking for a private conversation.  _What are you up to? What are you thinking now?_  She knew these questions would get her nowhere however and she would have to wait until the lunch bell came around. She glanced at the clock.  _Not too far off, just a few hours._

Or so she thought. The fact he called her out to a meeting had her mind reeling with questions and time seemed to tick by slowly. All forms of ideas filed her head from simple to convoluted, evil to romantic, and everything in between. She was jumping at at the bells for a bit, but finally she had had enough and made herself concentrate properly on her work. She was not about to let his simple request ruin her work.

The rest of the time was still sluggish, but not as brutal. Soon enough she was up out of her seat as he sauntered out on his own. She glanced at Jonouchi who begged her to let him come but she shook her head. She was able to hold her own, though she looked frail she was far from it. Her frame limber from all her adventures as opposed noticeably muscle physique. Anzu glared at the two as they had walked out, unable to sit there tapping her manicured nails on the desk until they were broken. She quickly followed them.

Terry stood before the door that led to the outside, a little nervous. There was a plethora of possibilities, and the most plausible were the more troubling. She looked down at her hands and then back to the door. With a deep breath, she pushed the door open and squinting stepped out in to the blinding sunlight. The crisp blue sky could seen expanding over them, a few white cotton balls scattered across the expanse. The scenery was calming and it helped her relax.

"So, uh, you wanted to talk to me?" Her voice was far more calm than she had thought it would be at the moment. It was surprising to her, but she was grateful she was able to keep her cool and act as if she would when facing some wild animal or booby trap.

"Why else would we be here?" Was the retort that was fired back at her. She bit her lower lip to keep from making a comment back as she took a deep calming breath. She opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it and awaited him to initiate.

Suddenly he began to pace back and forth a few steps. He was not prepared for this. He had called her up on the spot and now he had to find a way to word this delicately. He was not about to tell her about something she had nothing to do with.  _Maybe she made them angry on their own? But they said a girl came to their rescue-ugh but her?! Well actually would make more sense her...she's from a life of action and trouble. Which came handy for me since normally people ignore the crap that goes on around._  He suddenly stood up straight and flicked the cigarette butt he had in hand on to the floor and squashed it with his foot. His azure eyes locked with her grey-blue ones and he sighed as he ran a hand through his hair as he looked away again.

"I saw you and Jonouchi running this morning from some goons...what was that about?" He blurted out and she stared at him blankly, blinking at him.

 _Is that what this is about?_  She could not help but grin a little at this and stifled her own laugh of relief.

"What's so funny?"

"N-nothing, I just-I'm relieved! I was afraid I did something to annoy you again or something! I geez, this is something I didn't expect!" She sighed openly with relief and grinned at him broadly before she went in to the details of the story exactly as she had given it to Jonouchi. "And that's what happened...sadly, I don't have a clue who those kids are and if they're OK." She frowned softly as she lightly crossed her arms. "I hope they're safe."

"They are," Atem answered abruptly and looked to her properly. "Those kids you saved, one of them is my brother and the other is Seto's younger brother. I was looking all over the place for them and well you saved them...thank you." He said and bowed to her. Terry stepped back a bit at the sudden bow, stunned silent.

"Oh whoa, uh, no need to bow! I swear it's OK! Really, please stand up!" She said quickly and stepped closer to him but had no idea how to get him to stand up. "I mean, it was my honor to help them honestly. You telling me they're alright is gift enough actually! I was hoping to find out somehow and really had no clue aside from tracking those thugs." She rambled a bit, Atem looking up at her words. His eyes were wide with shock as he gaped at her.

 _Is she crazy? Look for the guys that were chasing to beat her down?_  His mouth flapped open and closed a bit before he tarted to crack up himself. She had done it again. She had surprised him yet again. It irked him, but he was becoming accustomed to these actually pleasant surprise.  _Maybe she isn't so bad after all._  He looked at her grinning as his laughter died to a chuckle and Terry was stunned by how handsome he is.

 _Wow...and he's laughing too! He has a nice smile and laugh._  She thought, unknown to them that Anzu was hidden behind the door. She had no clue what was being said, but she could see them clearly from the window in the door. She was the furthest from amused.


	13. First Lunch: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that things are clearing up, how will this restart begin?

            “S-so that was it?” Terry hesitantly asked him, not sure if this was all too good to be true. “I mean, not that this isn’t bad or anything! I just, uh…you usually snap or take jabs at me. Which actually, why **do** you pick on me?”

            _Pick on her? I don’t pick on her! What the hell is she talking about?_ He pondered over her words a little as he thought over the past few days and realized he was actively picking on her. She had proven to be nothing like how Kyouhei said all girls were like. “I don’t mean to…you just…you don’t act normal.” He honestly spoke up as he looked at her. “I mean ya fucking talk about the Serengeti, pyramids, temples, wild beasts, and all that shit but you don’t know what lunch is like with classmates?”

            Terry blinking in silence looked at Atem curiously as she took in his thought process. _I mean that’s been my life. I had lunch with helpers and excavators. That doesn’t count though huh?_ A smile cracked on her lips suddenly and she shook her head. “It does sound pretty crazy huh?” She laughed at the oddity of it. “I’m just that much of an odd person! I didn’t think my experiences would actually offend someone though.”

            “It’s more than odd, it’s just plain **weird**. Of course it would! It sounds like you’re just trying to be more than normal people or that you’re better than other people with your exotic lifestyle!” He crossed his arms in a slight huff as he muttered something. He had an apology due to her, which was certain. Did he want to apologize? Not really. Admitting he was wrong this whole time was not the easiest task for him. He had gone out of his way to disprove her and show she was just as Kyouhei said. _There I apologized!_

            “What did you say? I couldn’t hear the last thing you said. It was a little too low.”

            “I said I’m sorry.” His voice was barely a decibel louder and all the more muffled than the last.

            “I’m sorry, I guess it’s the wind or something.” She stepped closer to him, leaning in a bit with her ear faced toward him. “I really didn’t hear.” She noted his face was red and she wondered if he was sick. _Maybe he said something embarrassing?_ She opened her mouth to ask him, but a yelp came out as he tugged at her ear and he pulled her closer.

            “I said I’m sorry! Ya happy now?” He snapped loudly in her ear. She stumbled back at the shout, rubbing her now ringing ear. She was about snap back, but noted how red he was and smiled when it all made sense. He was shy.

            _That’s too cute!_ She grinned at him from ear to ear and leaned toward him again. “You’re forgiven, just don’t pick on my friends. You can lash out at me all you want, but attacking others to get at me is low.” She sternly spoke, but her eyes showed she had accepted his apology.

            From Anzu’s angle, this all looked far more suspicious than it truly was, making her blood boil with anger. Unable to hold back anymore, she slammed the door open with a rough push.

            “Terry, Jounouchi is looking for you! He’s really worried about you! I think he’s headed to the headmaster’s office!”

            “Oh sweet merciful sugar lumps, really? Sorry Atem, I gotta go stop Joey! Please let your brother know I’m glad he’s safe!” She ran toward the door, but suddenly stopped and turned to look at him. “Oh, if I manage to get him calmed down…mind having lunch with us or well me if you’re not comfortable with them yet? Either way, I’ll buy something from the bakery and see you here? Okay? Later!” She waved to him and ran down the steps two at a time.

            “What is with that girl? What does she have to do with Yugi?” Anzu turned to Atem whose gaze was still fixated on the spot where Terry was moments ago.

            He really was unable to get what just happened all the sudden. He had no lunch, it forgotten from his hectic morning. Now, he was suddenly expected to wait for Terry here for lunch. Then there was Anzu who suddenly appeared out of the blue.

            _No, she probably followed us-but like what the hell? How did I get roped up in to a lunch thing with her?!_ He thought bitterly, his cheeks a little red. He was snapped from his thoughts by the grating sound of a voice he was in no mood to hear. “None of your damn business.” He walked over to the ladder and climbed up to lay on top of the hutch that held the door. Hoping she would vanish, Atem shut his eyes tight. _I’m just going to nap and go back. Yeah, I’m not waiting for her. I’m just napping and relaxing._ He thought to himself, justifying his actions. Anzu just stood there, arms akimbo, as she gawked at his tone with her.

            This was not the boy she had wrapped around her finger. This was not the infamous bad boy she had crafted to be her number one. No, this was the start of the unravelling of all her hard work. She bit at one of her thumbs in anger as she glared at the door. _I won’t let that bitch take what’s mine!_ There was no way she would allow this uprising to grow. She would nip this in the bud as soon as possible. There was only one person who would help her now and that was Kyouhei. All the years of showing him would not be for nothing.

            The echoing clack of her heels could be heard as she flicked her hair and squared her shoulders. Atem peered over as she stormed off, unsure why he was looking at all. There was suddenly a pang of pain in his chest but he ignored it. The anger and agitation of waiting for Terry bubbled in his mind took its place.

            Meanwhile, Terry found Jonouchi in the classroom being distracted by some card game. Luckily she had peered in to the classroom before she barged in. The sight perplexed her some, since it countered what she was told by Anzu. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she looked to the ground. Anzu had tricked her. Whatever the reason may be, she was made to leave.

            _I should’ve seen that one coming…honestly, I’m such an idiot!_ She shook her head as she ran off to the school bakery to grab some food for herself along with her packed lunch. She had no idea what he had so she had gotten a little bit of everything as well as an extra plate and utensils for him if he wanted some of her food. She ran back to the rooftop as quickly as she could, bursting through the door. “I’m back, sorry about the wait! I totally forgot to ask what flavor so I bought a bunch,” she looked up to see no one was there and frowned a little to herself. “I guess he didn’t wait….” She mumbled, a little sad by this. _Whatever Sharif, maybe he didn’t want to stay or she tool him back. He’ll just blow up if you tell him she’s a bad influence._ She thought as she plopped down by the steps and looked at the spread she had. She thanked for the food silently opened her mouth for a big bite of a savory bun.

            “Wow, way to even look for me after taking your sweet ass time!” An oh-so familiar voice rang out suddenly from above. The shock made her head jerk in the direction, her head crashing against the wall behind her. She hissed in pain at the sudden sharp throbbing sensation that was now the back of her head.

            “H-hey, how was I supposed to know you were up there? You didn’t say a word either!” She scowled, though her body scooted over so he could come sit next to her. “Anyway, I have my homemade lunch, some sweet buns, and a bunch of savory. Some are spicy, so if you can’t tolerate that then avoid the red ones.” She pointed out as he peered through the selection and looked up at her.

            “Why are you being so nice to me? I was and have been an asshole to you.” He suddenly blurted, though his eyes never wavered in his food inspection.


	14. First Lunch Pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this late update, my mother broke her wrist so I was helping her with daily activities.

            “Do I need a reason to be nice?” She asked simply, blinkingly looking at him. Terry found it odd that he was questioning her kindness. In her book, he apologized and that was that for now. If he ever crossed the line again or in a far worse manner she would deal with it. On the other hand, Atem was unable to tell if hat slight doe eyed look was of confusion, innocence, or curiosity-maybe a mix of all three. It definitely threw him off guard much like her response.

            _What do you mean ‘do I need a reason’?_ A scowl pursed his lips as he looked from the food to her. “ **Of course you need a reason.** ” He stated matter-of-factly, his tone and gaze questioning her intelligence almost.

            “Why?” The simple answer made one of his brows twitch as he rested a hand on each of his knees as he sat cross-legged, hunching over a bit to move closer to her. How could she possibly be asking this question to him?

            _She can’t be serious! I was an ass to her! What good is there to be nice to me?_ It boggled his mind how she was unable to see why she should be wary or unkind to him. It was human nature to be vengeful and self-satisfying after all. The thought suddenly seemed odd to him, but he was unable to decipher how. It prickled him in a way, like a slight itch just beneath the skin that was insatiable and came and went as it pleased.

            “What do you mean ‘ **why** ’? Isn’t it obvious? I was an ass to you. I bullied you and my ex was no better from what I understand. I picked at you whenever I got the chance to and without fail every time.” He listed on his fingers. “Do you need more reason than that?”

            “You confronted your ex on my behalf, or at least I thought so, when she made comments about my family. You thanks me for helping out your brother and apologized for what you’ve been doing.” She fired back at him. “Looks like you’re pretty even on the board there. It’s a big ol’goose egg of a score.” She grinned, taking a bite of her food before motioning him to try some as well. “If you’re not going to eat any of it, I’m gonna eat it all.”

            “H-hey, no fair!” He quickly jumped the topic to food, grabbing something without though and throwing the firm triangular shape in to his mouth. His sneered at her triumphantly for the steal, but that was short lived as steam seemed to billow out of his ears and he huffed out in agony. The muffled word of ‘hot’ as he danced in his spot had her cracking up. The sight was certainly not what she expected, but it was much appreciated before he swallowed and guzzled down water. “That wasn’t funny!” He snapped at her, but that did little to stop her laughter. The sound of contagious. He joined in on her laughter instead of lashing out more. It was funny, he had been so proud of the steal only to burn his tongue from the heat of the food. The spice factor was no help.

            The rest of the lunch period was spent with Terry teaching Atem the new dishes, explaining what they are and what they consist of to the best of her knowledge. Some foods were simple to make snack dishes from other countries she had visited while the main dish was from her father’s ethnic origin. The names were difficult to pronounce, and some far too spicy to his like while others not enough; but overall he enjoyed the variety and the small lesson on other places.

            Time ticks away quick as she delved in to stories of her many adventures that were food oriented and how she would have to train and pass before being able to eat. There were times where she snuck food out to the workers that she had befriended as well as learned to cook from their wives or daughters. It was a variety of worlds all new to Atem. The way she lit up and her eyes sparkled with delight was enough to grab anyone’s interest alone. The way her voice rose and fell with the stories, her body animated to emphasize various things. He sat there ensnared by her enthusiasm, curious to know more about her and this world she lived. He could practically taste the arid desert wind and feel the granules of sand when the bell tore it apart and brought him back to the warm concrete.

“Ah, we better get going. C’mon, no skipping for you mister! If you skip I won’t share my lunches or stories with you!” Terry firmly wagged a finger at him before extending a hand to him. He stared at her in slight awe, confused and amused by her. Unable to stay upset, he grinned and took her hand.

            “Yeah, yeah, we’ll see about that.” He snickered and grabbed his trash off the ground. The two headed down back to their classroom, Jonouchi surprised by the site of both of them in once piece and a smile on their faces. Atem scowled at the attention almost instantly and stalked off to his desk as she headed over to her seat by said blond.

            “We talked things out. I think things will be better from here on out.” She smiled and the teacher walked in to the room. Class was to begin and the little lunch was for her and Atem alone.


	15. Anzu Strikes Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The loss of a boyfriend is never easy, especially when she's the one who usually breaks the hearts. What will Anzu do to get her boy toy back?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for this being so late, I had some pressing personal matters to attend to. Please enjoy this next installation of the story.

            As Terry had hoped, the next few days had been quite peaceful. In fact, the next few weeks were very calm. Her budding friendship with Minako grew wonderfully and the classmates had readily accepted her in to their little community. Every now and again she was asked to recount on a tale of something, but otherwise the hype of her arrival had finally simmered down. Everything had gone back to normal. That is, everything except for Atem and Anzu.

            The infamous couple had split up. Atem called it quits the day of the race when Anzu had stepped out of bounds. It was not the first time, and it certainly was not the last either.  However, he had slowly been seeing more and more of how much he had given a blind eye to and the final line had been crossed when she attacked another’s family. It was not just any old remark too, she had insulted Terry’s father. She knew full well that he was not one to tolerate such low blows, being that his own father was no longer around. It was a blow that was too close to home. It was the icing on the cake he had not realize was made.

            At first, Anzu thought nothing of it. She figured it was a momentary issue that she would, as always, handle later. She easily convinced him to side with her or forgive her many a times with the help of her womanly assets. She banked on them to come to her aid once again. It was fool proof and worked every time. She merely needed to lie and wait. The little meet-up at lunch verified that.

            After a few days had passed, she began her attempts to lure him back. She would latch on to his arms and push her chest out more. When in passing she would graze her body against his ‘accidentally’ and bat her lashes in his direction. Occasionally she would drop something nearby his desks and bent over, slowly and deliberately, so that he would either get a good look down her shirt or up her skirt and of her long legs. Though as much as he tried to look uninterested or oblivious, she saw the minimal reactions. The way his pupils would dilate or he would suddenly inhale sharply or lick at his lips as his throat suddenly ran dry. She was winning.

            There was on flaw in this plan however, and that one thing was not taking in to account the new factor: Terry. Every morning she would try and seduce and see her progress, but come after lunch he would be renewed with a vigor of confidence that set her back further every time. Whatever happened at these lunches thwarted her all of her attempts and it irked her.

            _Who the fuck does she think she is?! Coming in and acting all fucking innocent! Bitch has another thing coming! I will get him back, mark my words skank. I will have him, and once I do I will make you wish you never stepped foot in this school!_ Anzu grit her teeth as she glared, boring holes in to the back of Terry’s head in gym class. A full week had passed since the lunch and she was nowhere near her goal of having her boyfriend. A week of constant flirting, extra special make-up, his favorite perfume, and not a lick of progress to show for it. All thanks to the new girl. It had to be solely her fault after all. Why else was she failing?

            There was only one thing left to do. She would need to get help from Kyouhei. The two of them were concerned by the sudden change in their friend. He was slowly going back to being Atem and not the bad boy Yami they had made. She needed to step her game up as well as call in for back up. The thoughts tumbled through her mind as she shifted her gaze to her most recent ex-boyfriend.

            Anzu was no ugly duckling, in fact she was one of the prettiest girls in their grade. She had the perfect model figure with a larger than average bust, big doe eyes, and chestnut brown hair. Boys scrambled to greet her, running at the slightest errand for her. Even when she was with Atem, the boys wanted her attention.

            _That’s it,_ her eyes shot wide open. _I know how to elevate the game and win!_ A smirk slowly curled on her lips and a small maniacal laugh threatened to erupt from her. The two girls that normally hung out with Anzu were slightly concerned for their friend. Breaking up was never something done to her, she was the one who broke up with people. Before either could ask, Anzu turned to each of them. “Ladies, things are going to change around here. I know how to get him back.” She boasted with pride and the two showered her with praise as if she had found the cure for cancer.

            This was not a one woman task however, she needed an accomplice of the male persuasion and she knew just the guy for the task. Her gaze turned to her raven haired friend Kyouhei, his back to her at the moment as he spoke with Atem. It was uncertain what was being said, the distance out of earshot for her. The moving of their heads and lips were what gave way to the fact there was a conversation. As soon as this infernal waste of time for a class was over she would be able to map out the plan and soon after set the wheels in motion.

            Once free from that hell, she ran to the lockers and grabbed her cellular phone and tapped away with fervor:

            <Need ur help 2 win Yami back. Promise usual payment. Meet me @sheds after school>

She hit send and waited impatiently, though it was short lived.

            <C u there>

Now all she had to do was wait and set the trap. She held her head high with a gleam in her eyes as her heels clacked against the tiles of the school. There was no way this plan would fail.


	16. Odd Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another day, another mad dash to school. This time, it's a trio instead of a duo. How will this pan out?

            As usual, the sun rose high the next day. With it, Terry rose as well along with her father. Used to waking at dawn, the two went about their usual schedule as Jonouchi slowly adjusted to them as well. He was never up as early as them, but he was awake far earlier than his usual time. The smell of a home cooked breakfast was a great help to waking him. The sight of the happy zombie sniffing to the source was now a norm that the two enjoyed as they welcomed the new member of their family. However, something was definitely off about this morning. Terry was unable to put her finger on it, but there was something off about today. Shrugging it off, Joey helped with the cleaning of the dishes as her father and she cleaned the table.

            The two chattered away about the homework, shows, and random oddities that Terry was still adjusting to in civilian life. She had missed quite a lot with being in areas of zero technology majority of the time. Sometimes, quite literally, underground. As they walked to the train station, she spotted something familiar. Tri-colored hair to be exact. Next to it, on a higher level, more tri-colored hair. She tugged at Jonouchi’s arm and pointed him out.

            “We should go say good morning! His brother is with him too, so he has to be somewhat decent right?” Jonouchi tensed at the notion. Up until now, they two had been avoiding one another quite well. Even if Terry was speaking to him, the group had yet to even be in the same are as him outside of class. Even in lunch they were apart.

            _She’s got a point. He can’t be that much of an ass with his lil’ bro around right? C’mon Katsuya, what are you? Some kinda pansy? A little school girl with a crush? He’s just himself and you’re you. So what if things are different now!_ He pepped talked himself, unknown to him that Terry took his silence as a yes and now found himself face to face with two sets of azure eyes. He jumped back a bit with a shout, Yugi, who was on Atem’s shoulders, leaned in far too close for comfort once pulled out of his mind. “You trying to give me a heart attack?” He scowled at the kid who was now in a fit of laughter at his reaction. It was definitely a great awkward ice breaker though, a smile on Atem’s lips that held Terry’s attention.

            “Good morning to you too.” He retorted back

            “Good morning, I’m glad to see he’s doing OK!” Terry chimed in before Jonouchi could retaliate outside of faces as she pointed to Yugi.

            “Thank you for saving me lady, I would’ve been in deep trouble if it weren’t for you!” Yugi smiled innocently and broadly at Terry, warming her heart.

            “I’m glad I could help, you should be more careful next time. Your brother was probably worried sick about you.”

            “Yeah, he learned his lesson. As did Mokuba.” Atem looked up at his brother who looked down apologetically.

            “I just wanted to be all grown up like Atem so I can help at home more.” He mumbled cutely, it obvious he adored and admired his brother.

            “You’ll get there in due time.” Atem assured, lost in his brotherly ways and forgetting the two that were standing with him. _Shit, what the fuck am I doing?_ He thought, his cheeks turning red at the smile on their faces. _They’ll definitely make fun of me for this! I have a rep at school!_ He opened his mouth to snap at them, but Yugi easily pulled their attention to them train and they all boarded with the crowd. The two accompanied Atem in dropping of Yugi, much to the little one’s joy. The silence once the hyper boy was gone was a little deafening until Jonouchi cleared his throat.

            “He’s grown up a lot.” He stated.

            “Yeah,” Atem grunted.

            “He’s still pretty short though.”

            “Yeah, he’ll grow.”

            “Like a certain someone I know.” Jonouchi teased and Atem scowled to hide his blush.

            “Not everyone just grows to be freak giants all the sudden like **some** people!”

            As the two squabbled, Terry silently observed. Her notion that Atem bullied Jonouchi was dead wrong. No, there was something more here definitely and this banter was more than enough evidence of it. She never dealt with friendships before so it took her some time to realize. As soon as it hit though, it all made sense. She suddenly stopped in her tracks, the two stopping after they noticed a few steps ahead of her.

            “You two were friends?” She asked, uncertain if her adjusted assessment was correct. “Or did you just grow up together?”

            “We,” Jonouchi started but then stopped. The two had spoken at the same time actually and now looked to one another. They bore through the other’s gaze, trying to read the atmosphere to give the proper answer. Did the two feel the same? Was the friendship there? Was it salvageable? Did the other even recall the friendship at all? Were they supposed to act as if it ever was? The questions plagued the two, the tension thick in the air.

            “We were…still are, just not the same.” Atem finally spoke up after breaking the stare down to look at Terry. “I mean people grow up and things change. Doesn’t mean friendships have to die. Time apart is all that’s needed from time to time.” He shrugged off, leaving a stunned Jonouchi. Atem’s ears slowly turned red as he noted the glassy eyes of his best friend who tackled him in to a hug.

            “You’re my best bud too buddy!” He sniffled.

            “Oi, get the fuck off me! You’re gonna give people the wrong idea you dipshit!” He snapped, but it was obvious his struggle was nothing if anything at all. The silver bell laughter of Terry was no help to his reddening face though, his heart thumping a bit. To him, it made sense it was due to embarrassment. “Alright, enough hugging! Geez!” He snapped and pulled away. Jonouchi had realized what he was doing and had nearly flung Atem at Terry and cleared his throat again and looked away.

            “I’m glad you two are mending ties, but this little bromance will have to wait. We’re running late again.” She pointed to her watch. “We’ll have to run from here.”

            “Not again, why is it always running with you?” Jonouchi sighed in exasperation. The daily exercise a routine thing for the two. So much so, that the class expected it to happen as a normal thing.

            “Yeah, who do you two always run in to class?” The question was left unanswered though as Terry grabbed their hands and tugged them along.

            “Run now, ask later!” She shouted back, a hidden laughter in her tone as Joey groaned.

            “I wish I knew the answer to that one myself!” He shouted before he picked up his slack along with Atem and the three came fumbling in to the classroom. The boys had started to get competitive with one another and soon enough realized that Terry was indeed a formidable opponent in running. The two jostled at each other in jest, but as the skidded the turns. When they rushed to get through the room door, the nudged until someone tripped and the three were a mess on the floor.

            “Fuck, get off of me man!” Atem grumbled in pain, though it was not as rough of a crash as he thought it would be.

            “Ugh, one second, one second!” Jonouchi muttered back from above him. The soft grunt from below him quickly grabbed his attention. The pillowed fall was not from his bag, but from Terry’s body. His face mere centimeters from her own. His cheeks burned at the realization, his eyes focused on her scrunched up lips.

            _One kiss wouldn’t kill would it? I mean it’s been so long since you did anything with anyone._ He thought, but quickly caught himself at a shriek. He ripped his body away from her as if he was burned by the touch, sending Jonouchi tumbling to the floor. His apology is choked up in his throat as he noted the class staring at them. _Shit, what do I do?_

            “It’s ok,” he hears suddenly and turns back to Terry who is smiling. She mouthed the words once again.

            “Way to go ya klutz!” The words quickly spilled from his mouth after the approval.

            “Yeah, sorry about that. Not used to these kind of shoes yet.” She played off lightly, unfazed by the sudden lash of anger.

            “Then fucking get used to them.” He retorted and stormed off to his seat and stared out the window. The teacher’s appearance silenced any protest from Jonouchi at the sudden change in behavior, Terry’s pat on his shoulder quelling it further as they took their seats.

            “Its fine, he’s not ready yet to just change. He’s used to being an ass to me and people expect it.” She whispered as they pulled out their notebooks.  The strange morning was indeed fresh in everyone’s mind, though Atem’s reaction had them all dismissing at a rarity that probably would never happen again.

            Though the shoes were in fact an issue with running for her, Terry was unable to shake that unease from breakfast. The world just seemed to be haze and a warmth slowly spread through her body. She wondered what it could possibly be, but she kept her attention on the lessons at hand.


	17. Let the Games Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terry had become quite the nuisance, thwarting the attempts to win back her boyfriend. How will Anzu win him back?

            The final bell echoed through the school, the students slowly preparing for their departures as they talk amongst their friends. Anzu sat at her desk, her eyes on the clock as it ticked away more. This action was quite odd for her, the concentration was one no one dared to break. Not even Atem who had to reel himself back from being overly concerned. He was no longer her boyfriend and wanted nothing to do with her.

            As soon as he was gone, she stood from her seat and grabbed her things in silence. As she walked against the crowd, she made her way outside to the outside equipment sheds. One of the doors was ajar with led to her smirk.

_Perfect_. As soon as she stepped in, the door was slid shut and Kyouhei emerged from the shadows.

            “So, what is this plan?” He asked as he stepped up behind her. His voice as a deep whisper, dripping with mischievous interest. The proximity would normally be uncomfortable for an average girl, he so close that she was unable to even turn to look at him. Anzu was unfazed however as she tilted her head away from him.

            “Do you really want to hear that first?” She purred back.

            “No.” He chuckled, one hand slipping under her skirt. “You know very well I prefer being paid up front and gratitude after.” There was no fight from her, just the sound of her bags being dropped on nearby equipment along with the swish of her ribbon pulled off.

            “Then let’s begin,” she pressed her boy further back against him.

            The time that had passed was unknown to them, their bodies tangled and sweat laden after rigorous activity. Kyouhei listened silently as he smoked a cigarette, the only real bit of light in the room aside from the dying red light of the sun.

            “You want you and me to flirt and mess around openly?” He raised a brow at this. “Trigger his jealousy? How is that any good?” He frowned a bit, not that he minded the idea. It just meant he could to more without worry-not that either of them really cared if they were caught. No one dared tattled on them.

            “Who better than his best friend?” She said coolly with such confidence as she crossed her sore legs. “It will be hard blow that will eat at this stupid farce of strength that bitch is giving him.” She spat the word at the thought of Terry. “Nothing is working like before. She’s definitely sleeping around with him.”

            “I don’t see what else she could be doing that would have him so obedient. A good blowjob can blow any mind.” Kyouhei huffed out the last bit of smoke before he flicked the dead butt on to the cement ground. “Count me in, I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow ‘honey’.” He smirked as she stood to get dressed.

            “I can’t wait ‘sweetie’.” She laughed back, dressing without concern to his hungry gaze. In fact, she dressed slowly and more sultrily almost, enjoying the attention. The two head their own way once dressed. They would definitely see just how much was needed before they decided to act, and the night could not go any faster in Anzu’s eyes.

            As always, the sun rose high in to the sky and Anzu was up with it. She sat before her vanity mirror, meticulously working on her face with layers of contouring and different shadows that had the shimmer but neutral tones. Hair straightened and styled and lashes brushed with mascara, she finished it all with gloss that made her lips cherry red. The final touch after the slight dusting of pink on to her lips. This was her daily ritual. It was her war paint in a world where a girl was nothing but the look she gave. Once satisfied with her look, she slipped on her heels and boarded the family car that awaited her arrival and safely got her to school.

            She took her sweet time, spritzing herself with perfume that all the boys loved, especially him. With a quick thank you to her driver, she stepped out and in to the school grounds. Nothing could ruin this day. She would be victorious. These thoughts came to a screeching halt at the sight of the three sprawled on the floor and from her view it looked far more than what it really was. 

            _No, this can’t be! How could he-how could she! That bitch!_ Her thoughts raged so much that all she was able to utter was a shriek of abject shock. They were **kissing** in front of everyone weeks from the break up. The makeup she perfectly placed easily hid the draining of color, the angle she had of them giving the wrong impression completely. As he leapt back on to his feet, the usual banter and harsh words were exchanged and she was left to glare daggers once again.

            This was war.

            <We start 2day> She sent as soon as she sat in her usual seat, her friends cursing off Terry. _Yes, it had to be her. He wouldn’t just up and kiss a fugly slut like her. She has no sex appeal! I mean look at her, she is given a pass from wearing the uniform and she dressed to match the code? Not an ounce of makeup in sight either! Bags bigger than my purse under her eyes._ She seethed in her seat. Kaiba had watched the spectacle silently, but was far too amused and had zero fear of the brunette, so he chuckled to himself. Though she snipped a ‘what’ at him, he merely smirked at her mockingly that was barely a moment long. _What the fuck, rich ass brat thinks he’s hot shit. Fucking needs to get laid is what, a good pounding up that tight ass of his to show him he ain’t shit._ She dare not speak those words, self-preservation a concept not lost on her.

As soon as the first break started, Kyoushei was over and he leaned on to a desk. He glanced at Atem, giving a small nod at his attention before he bluntly kissed Anzu who came to greet him. The sight sent shock through the class, but rocked Atem’s silent world. The feelings that were slowly dying suddenly sprang back to life in him as the two practically devoured one another as they all watched. The teacher was left a stuttering mess as well.

            “If you’re going to be so open, at least be respectful of others…or at least move from my desk.” A voice called out, but was lost in translation as Kyouhei forced his tongue into Anzu’s awaiting mouth. “By respectful, I don’t just mean the class by the way and I’m not talking about me.” The voice spoke again and suddenly he was yanked away from the kiss. He growled at interrupter, no woman ever treating him like this. No one treated him like some child. He found himself face to face with two defiant and stern eyes. The look had him wanting to laugh, but irritation won out.

            “What, such a prude at our age? I bet you’re a virgin too.” He scoffed at her, as if to embarrass her. A wicked smirk curled on his lips. _Watch, she’s just und up flustered and leave us be. Anzu’s worrying for no reason._ The next words had him choking on his thoughts.

            “Yeah, I am…so what? Why’s that even relevant to this discussion? I’m asking you and her to take it elsewhere.” She frowned at the two, the two gaping at her ‘stupid’ response.

_Did she just openly admitted to lack of experience so simply? That’s a fucking right! Who is this bitch?_ He laughed openly at her response, this all far too much.

 “I don’t really get what’s so funny, but I’m serious. Move from my desk and take this where others don’t have to see you.” She stated firmly, Kyouhei clicked his tongue in distaste at the lecture.

            “I’ll see you later. The nun parade is a real fucking bore.” He rolled his eyes as he shoved Terry as he walked toward the door. Anzu quickly walked after him, stomping on Terry’s foot as she chased Kyouhei and called out to wait for her. The two looked back at her, snickering before they stepped out in to the hall.

            “See,” Anzu pouted as she rested her hands on her hips.

            “She’s definitely an odd handful. This will be far more interesting than I thought. I should pay attention more to classes.” He hummed, his interest peaked to show this new girl the ropes as much as Anzu wished to.

 


	18. Unordinary Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So the big plan is suddenly in effect, how will Atem react? The day just seems to be continuing with the oddities. What will happen next?

            He was in no way paying attention to the lessons and the teachers knew this, they were not about to challenge his attendance. It was a step in the right direction. A miracle they would regret ruining if they pressed too much too soon. The class time had gone by with a blur, Atem lost deep in his thoughts of this morning. The sight of her flushed cheeks and labored breathing. The light shine of sweat that threatened to fall on her forehead. Those satin lips that beckoned to him. None of it was leaving his mind and repeatedly played in his mind.

 _Dammit, just forget about it! Not like she would ever kiss you anyones-like you even want to kiss her! She’s a nosy weirdo that’s just there! You can’t seriously be losing yourself over someone like her! I mean she doesn’t even try to look like a girl!_ He scolded himself, the first bell of break shattering his reverie much to his relief. He glanced toward Kyouhei. A normal motion to see if he was asleep or not.

            The light nod from his friend was signal enough to have Atem stand. The sight to follow had him frozen in place. His best friend was sucking face with his recently ex-girlfriend and she was allowing it. The sight had him seeing red instantly. His gut twisted in all sorts of feelings ranging from raging to nauseated, the world around him shaken as the blood drained from his face. His throat parched and constricted in a disturbing way.

The sight sent shock through the class, but rocked Atem’s silent world. The feelings that were slowly dying suddenly sprang back to life in him as the two practically devoured one another as they all watched. The teacher was left a stuttering mess as well. Before his body regained the ability to move, a familiar voice cut through the silent room.

            “If you’re going to be so open, at least be respectful of others…or at least move from my desk.” Terry spoke up, unamused by the unwanted attention from this girl. “By respectful, I don’t just mean the class by the way and I’m not talking about me.” She clarified as she pulled Kyouhei from Anzu to break them up. He growled at her, no woman ever treating him like this. No one treated him like some child.

            “What, such a prude at our age? I bet you’re a virgin too.” He scoffed at her, as if to embarrass her.

            “Yeah, I am…so what? Why’s that even relevant to this discussion? I’m asking you and her to take it elsewhere.” She frowned at the two, the two gaping at her ‘stupid’ response. She had openly admitted to lack of experience so simply, it was laughable. And they laugh they did. Atem had to stifle his own snickering, she was standing up for him after all. Why? He was uncertain. She always did things that were so unheard of to him. Foreign concepts that were once common.

“I don’t really get what’s so funny, but I’m serious. Move from my desk and take this where others don’t have to see you.” She stated firmly, Kyouhei clicked his tongue in distaste at the lecture.

            “I’ll see you later. The nun parade is a real fucking bore.” He rolled his eyes as he shoved Terry as he walked toward the door. Anzu quickly walked after him, stomping on Terry’s foot as she chased the male asking him to wait. Terry had to take a deep breath at the sudden physical assault, reminding her that she was not in a life threatening situation. It was a simply disagreement between classmates. Nothing more, nothing less. She inhaled deeply again and held the breath for a moment longer.

            Her cheeks flushed red, but not from the scene. Her body was heated, her body feeling heavy laden as her vision blurred in the corners. Fatigue, simple at that. _It has to be fatigue. I didn’t really get much sleep and then we went running._ She shook her head and took her seat, her friends rushing over to her.

            “Are you ok?” Jonouchi’s voice rang out through her slowly dimming world.

            “Me, oh yeah. Totally fine, she just stomped on my foot is all. I can’t believe they’d be so careless.” She frowned lightly, it no shock that they would be so cruel. She had seen all forms of cruelty and it seems it was nothing unheard of in friendships such as this.

            “That’s enough of that, everyone in your seats!” The teacher finally spoke up as the class erupted in to fits of gossip and questions. This was the buzz of the school, spreading through it like a virus. Atem grit his teeth and shut out the world with his earphones. Betrayal from them hit deep. _Is that how he felt?_ His body tensed as his jaw slacked, his mind pulling Jonouchi to the front of his mind. He had up and left him as well. Left to his own devices. _Am I no different?_

            The world was suddenly empty and mute as the questions echoed in his mind. Had he, the person so against betrayal and hurting the few that can be trusted, no different? When had he changed so much? Why did he suddenly care all of the sudden? What was real anymore? Who could he trust? The thoughts swirled relentlessly like a storm at sea and he shipwrecked within it. He sat glued to his seat the rest of the day, nudged by Jonouchi when it came time to leave to gym. He was so lost that any retort was replaced with small grunts and he following the boys to the locker room.

            During the class, he stood by Kaiba the entire time, the two dead silent for their own reasons. Kyouhei walked up to Atem as if to speak to him, but the lack of recognition, let alone reaction, was a bad sign. The cold glare from Kaiba had him moving on to his other friends for now. The sudden shouts from the girl’s class grabbed even their attention though, the name of one girl in particular causing his gut to clench in worry. Without asking, he sprinted off to the girls. Kaiba watched in silence, sighing in annoyance but a hidden smile in his eyes. Things were finally heading on to a good track. He would never express his care for his friend however. He is Seto Kaiba after all. One voice stood out-Minami.

            He shoved his way through the encircling girls, his heart pounding as he looked to so a collapsed Terry. Her friends were there around her trying to make her come to. _No, no what now?_ He thought as Jonouchi tried to wake her with shaking and shouting. He quickly ripped her away from him and froze. She was burning up. “You’re burning up, the fuck is wrong with you? Coming to school like this… _standing up for me and acting like you’re okay. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?_ He thought as he legs raced to the nurse, the unconscious and heavily panting young woman secure in his arms.

            “We’re taking her to the nurse!” Jonouchi shouted before he followed after Atem, everyone stunned by this turn of events. Today was anything but ordinary.


	19. The First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Succumbed to her humanity, Terry finds herself in an new place with a surprising face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I had some personal matters to attend to for a while. Thank you for waiting and please enjoy.

            Everything was going just fine since the small altercation in the morning. Everything except for her body that was, Terry found herself grow even more sluggish and she wondered way. Nothing was coming to mind as to why either.

            _Ate breakfast…check. Drinking water….check. Proper sleep…sort of, but still check._ She pondered the reasoning behind all this when she was jostled back to reality by her friends. It was time for gym. _This’ll definitely do the trick! I’m just not used to being at a desk all the time, yeah that’s it!_ She figured as she rushed on with Minami. No matter what she did though, she was unable to remember how she even got to where she was now or where she needed to go next.

            At the call of her name, she headed up to stand by the coach as the sun beat down on to them. _How long have I been standing here? It feels like Egypt today!_ She wiped her brow with her hand as she called up the classmates to make up her team. One by one they came, but it all seemed all too slow for her. Was she a mile away? Was it really that hot outside? She had no clue, and before she was even able to ask, as her body started to fall backwards as the world grew fuzzy before dark around her.

 _When did I fall asleep? Where am I? Wait, did I not go to school? No I did…it’s so hot_. Slowly but surely the world of the awake came back to Terry as she lay in the nurse’s room. The sterile yet old tiled walls and ceiling swam in to place. She had no clue how she found herself here, wherever here was at the moment. “Ugh, my head.” She mumbled as it heavily rolled and threw her off balance. The blaring fluorescent light was no help to the throbbing headache and the lack of oxygen through her nose had her panting for breath. To keep herself steady she caught her head in her hand as she shut her eyes against the harsh illumination.

            “Oi, lay back down.”

            “What, who’s that?” Her head shot up quickly, but the odd sluggish feel of her body along with the lead weight of her head sent her toppling to the side. Something had stopped the meeting with the floor, something softer than floor but not exactly all the soft still. It was hard…yet soft, and very much cooler than herself. “So cool…I’m so hot.” She hummed as she leaned in to the talking and moving wall. “Thanks for saving me mister wall.”  
            “I’m not a wall,” an irate voice answered back. Swinging her head up, she was met with a pair of familiar azure eyes.  
            “You’re a grumpy mister wall…but that’s ok. Don’t tell anyone, but I’m super-hot right now.” She pressed a finger to her lips. “I was in gym class, but I don’t know where I am now. Jojo must be worried. I need to go back.”

            “No, you stay here. You shouldn’t be running around like nothing’s wrong with you when you’re sick! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Atem scolded as he layed her back down on to the bed, tucking her in. “You need to rest. Joey isn’t here right now. He went to take notes for you.”   

            “Oh really? That’s so nice of him.” She smiled softly at the thought. “I didn’t meant to scare anyone…I didn’t realize I was sick. I was just fine all morning.” _I mean I think I was anyway, but then again I was a bit sluggish before…and my head was feeling a bit heavy when I woke up this morning. Actually, for a while now I’ve been waking up with some congestion…I didn’t think I’d get sick so easily._

            “Yeah well, I guess it ain’t all bad…I get to see you not so put together.”

            “Put together?”

            “Yeah, you’re not so on top of shit like always.” He explained with a shrug as he kicked his feet up on to the foot of her bed.

            “You should be in class you know.”

            “Yeah, I should…but I’d be-nevermind, they wouldn’t care.” He shook his head quickly. “You’re forgetting, I skip shit all the time. They’re probably happy that I stayed as much as I did.” He snorted to himself more so than anything.  
            “I’m glad you came to class today. I hope you come more often.” She smiled, touching his hand lightly. “You don’t have to stay here you know…you should go back.” She insisted, but it seemed he was not about to move. “Thank you, for staying…I’ve never been in a nurse’s office before…this is kind of weird and scary.”

            “ **This** is scary to you? This little room of lights and poor tile choice?” He raised a brow at this, looking around them. “Shit, I guess it could be scary if you’ve never seen it before.” He mumbled, though he woke up from naps here with fake stomach pains all the time. He flinched at the touch of her hot hand, a firm frown on his lips that made her laugh a little.  
            “I’ve been to rundown and third world hospitals more so than empty nurse rooms.” She clarified, slowly taking his hand. It was not such a grand gesture for her since she had been around cultures where hand holding was not all that bad or overly romantic. In her sick haze she failed to take not of her red faced companion, her attention on his temperature. “Your hand is so cold! It feels so nice!” She gasped loudly, a huge smile breaking on her face as she placed the cooler hand on her cheek. “I never had someone stay by me when I was sick, my father was always so busy with the digs and I didn’t want to burden him more.” She explained as she held his hand to her face.  
            “What about your mom?”

            “She left us…she never really liked me.” She frowned lightly at the memories. “I guess I wasn’t good enough for her…I took my dad’s love away.” She sniffled as tears suddenly slid down her face.

            “Whoa, hey! That’s got nothing to do with you! She left on her own damn choice and if your dad thought you were trouble he would’ve been an ass to you. So, so don’t cry.” He gruffly spoke but gently patted her on the head. “Go to sleep already. You need to get better if you don’t want to worry people!” He scolded and threw the blanket over her face lightly and looked away from the smile on her face. With a soft thank you, she closed her eyes once again. As her heavy head and heated body made sleep troublesome, a small touch easily distracted her body enough to let her slip away in to a somewhat peaceful rest.


	20. Get Well Soon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sitting and waiting is never any fun, so why does he feel like he has to stay here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about this late update, I had some serious family matters to attend to. Thank you for waiting.

                        If his best friend and no less than two weeks and counting ex kissing made time screech to a sudden halt, the sight of Terry on the floor passed out was a car crashing to a halt unceremoniously by a cement wall. Winded, his mind was sluggish. Heart pumping, his body automatically took action. His arms scooped her up and soft thump of his running footfalls jumpstarted his brain in to realizing he was running and the weight in his arms was a burning up Terry.

            _How fucking far is the damned nurse’s office anyway? Did they expand the halls overnight or move the office over to Russia?_ His jaw clenched tight as he breathed through his nose. He had to be off his game, he normally ran faster than this-right? Any and all perception of reality just seemed to play against him as he burst in to the A/C regulated building and down the squeaky hallways. A second pounding of feet rings in his ear, reminding him that Jonouchi was with him. Skidding around corners and taking any needed stairs two at a time up, they finally made it.

            The simple and needed to be repainted again grey solitary door never looked more perfect to the boys. Jonouchi taking the lead her, the excited blonde jumps in to telling the nurse what is going on as Atem settles Terry no to a bed and tucks her in before he kicked over a nearby stool and plopped down on to the uncomfortable seat. Jonouchi stared at Atem, not sure what exactly was going on and turned to the nurse who helps calms his nerves enough to go back to class and take the needed notes as help and she would allow Atem to stay.

            After the reluctant departure, the room falls silent and the nurse started to get to work tending to Terry as bests he can before heading to the next student who comes in since they are awake. Seconds seemed to tick by like hours as the disgruntled teen silently sat and stared at the red faced brunette. His breathing had finally evened out, his legs heavy like lead from the running and emotional hurricane that has been his entire morning thus far.

 _How did this even end up like this? She was fine all day and sure as hell the last few days!_ He pondered, needing to keep his mind busy lest he wish to replay the gut punching scene of the people he trusted the most sucking face from earlier.

. “Ugh, my head.” She mumbled as it heavily rolled and threw her off balance. The sound of her voice snaps him out of his thought and almost has him jumping on to his feet as he head swings around like a mace.

            “Oi, lay back down.” Atem scowled, uncrossing his arms. Stiff and sore, how tight had he been holding them? The thought didn’t last long as he lurched forward to catch her from shooting her head up too quickly.

            “What, who’s that?” He I able to catch her on his shoulder, sighing in frustration…and was that a little relief? _No, I’m over thinking this shit._

“So cool…I’m so hot.” She hummed as she leaned in to the talking and moving wall. “Thanks for saving me mister wall.”  
            “I’m not a wall,” He snapped, none too amused by her current state and lack of following direction. Swinging her head up, he finds himself looking in to her green eyes. _Wow…._ He had never seen eyes like hers, gunmetal grey melted steel with flecks of blue. Eyes that are far from being anything weak even now. The eyes of someone who has seen so much and yet still bright. The eyes of a warrior.  
            “You’re a grumpy mister wall…but that’s ok. Don’t tell anyone, but I’m super-hot right now.” She pressed a finger to her lips. “I was in gym class, but I don’t know where I am now. Jojo must be worried. I need to go back.”

            “No, you stay here. You shouldn’t be running around like nothing’s wrong with you when you’re sick! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” He scolded as he laid her back down on to the bed, tucking her in. “You need to rest. Joey isn’t here right now. He went to take notes for you.”        

            “Oh really? That’s so nice of him.” She smiled softly at the thought. “I didn’t meant to scare anyone…I didn’t realize I was sick. I was just fine all morning.”

            “Yeah well, I guess it ain’t all bad…I get to see you not so put together.” _Goddamn relief you’re ok, but not like I could say that._

            “Put together?”

            “Yeah, you’re not so on top of shit like always.” He explained with a shrug as he kicked his feet up on to the foot of her bed, trying to keep casual as he leaned back in to the wall for support.

            “You should be in class you know.”

            “Yeah, I should…but I’d be-nevermind, they wouldn’t care.” He shook his head quickly. “You’re forgetting, I skip shit all the time. They’re probably happy that I stayed as much as I did.” He snorted to himself more so than anything.  
            “I’m glad you came to class today. I hope you come more often.” She smiled, touching his hand lightly. “You don’t have to stay here you know…you should go back.” She insisted, but it seemed he was not about to move. “Thank you, for staying…I’ve never been in a nurse’s office before…this is kind of weird and scary.”

            “THIS is scary to you? This little room of lights and poor tile choice?” He raised a brow at this, looking around them. “Shit, I guess it could be scary if you’ve never seen it before.” He mumbled, though he woke up from naps here with fake stomach pains all the time. He flinched at the touch of her hot hand, a firm frown on his lips that made her laugh a little.  
            “I’ve been to rundown and third world hospitals more so than empty nurse rooms.” She clarified, slowly taking his hand. His eyes widened at the sudden touch of her overheated hand grabbing a hold of his, his cheeks flared red and his heart lodged itself in his throat.

 _Is she trying to kill me?! What is she even doing holding my hand? **WHY** is she holding it?_ And that smile is no help either, a cheap shot that sent his body in to a heated frenzy.

            “Your hand is so cold! It feels so nice!” She gasped loudly, a huge smile breaking on her face as she placed the cooler hand on her cheek. His heart lurched once again as his stomach flipped with anxiety.

_She’s doing this on purpose-she has to be!_

            “I never had someone stay by me when I was sick, my father was always so busy with the digs and I didn’t want to burden him more.” She explained as she held his hand to her face.  
            “What about your mom?” He asked, his heart slowly calming down at the sudden change of direction. He certainly had no clue it would be going this way, but he was relieved it was…or he thought he was as he ignored the small pang at the back.

            “She left us…she never really liked me.” She frowned lightly at the memories. “I guess I wasn’t good enough for her…I took my dad’s love away.” She sniffled as tears suddenly slid down her face.

            “Whoa, hey! That’s got nothing to do with you! She left on her own damn choice and if your dad thought you were trouble he would’ve been an ass to you. So, so don’t cry.” He gruffly spoke but gently patted her on the head. He had no clue what to do with her, but instantly thought of Yugi so he patted her on the head. “Go to sleep already. You need to get better if you don’t want to worry people!” He scolded and threw the blanket over her face lightly and looked away from the smile on her face. She was dazzling and blinding, there was no way some as dark as him could handle or deserve such brightness. With a soft thank you, she closed her eyes once again. When he saw that he breathing was not quite getting even, he started to stroke her head.

            _I have no clue if this will work…but it helps Yugi_. Cheeks red once more, he kept petting her until her breathing evened out and his tensed body finally unwinds once again. _What the hell?_ He thought as he stared at their hands that are still joined together.


	21. Excused for the Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sick in the nurse's office, Terry is given the rest of the school day off. How will she get home though?

            Anzu seethed with anger as she peeked through the window in the door, her plan was full proof-at least it was supposed to be. The only real thus far has been the annoying new girl. _This bitch just doesn’t know when to quit! Sick my ass, if you’ve been through all that shit how would you be able to get sick so fucking easy?!_ With her lips pursed she turned on her heel to stomp down the hall. There was only one person she wanted to see now. _He’ll know what to do. I’m sure he can get that skank outta the way for me to win him back for us._

            As she headed off in one direction, Mr. Sharif came quickly up the hall behind her a bit frazzled as he looked at the placards.

_Where is it? They said down this hall if I’m not mistaken-ah there it is!_ He quickly pulled open the door much to Atem’s surprise, making him jump from his seat at the sight of him.

_What the fuck-who the hell is this guy?_ He thought as he sized up the stranger. Though he could sense no danger, he was not about to let his guard down with her in bed as she was. Before he could demand any answers, he noted relief wash over the man’s face as he headed over towards Terry.

            “Are you a class fellow of her’s? My name is Aslan, Aslan Sharif. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He smiled warmly at Atem and stuck out a hand, the gesture and mannerism throwing Atem off a bit since he had gone from panicked to calm in no time flat. Bewildered, he took the hand and shook it a bit hesitantly.

            “Y-yeah, I’m a classmate. My name is Ya-I mean Atem, Atem Mutou…pleasure.” He said a little gruffly, noting how callous this man’s hands were. _Well that definitely would make sense, he wasn’t exactly some pencil pusher._

            “Thanks for staying with her, I got here as soon as I could.” He sighed, taking a seat beside her bed. “Has she been sleeping the whole time?”

            “Uh yeah, sorta. She woke up for a bit complaining about being hot or something…but there wasn’t much I can do. My hand was cold to her so I let her hold on to it.” _Why the hell am I telling him everything? I don’t owe him shit, the hell if wrong with me?!_

            “Oh, thank you. Yeah, she’s always had pretty bad fevers.” He mumbled, his attention fully on his daughter as he moved some hair from her face.

            “Yeah, it was nothing.” He dismissed with a slight rosy tint on his cheeks. “Uh, Jonouchi is in our class. He said he’d grab notes for her so she should be good on class material.”

            “Oh that’s good, I’ll have to thank him properly when I see him tonight. Well, thank you again. I’m going to be taking her home so you can head back to class.” He smiled gratefully at Atem, which made him feel a bit confused about this.

_He doesn’t know shit about me, that’s why._ He thought, unsure of how to deal with this positivity and warmth. All the adults he knew always were correcting him or scolding him in some way, but never going out of their way for him. _Except for mom and gramps, no adults give a shit. One look at me and they have some image concocted in their head because of how I dress or style my hair._ He opened his mouth to snipe at Aslan, but ended up choked for words. The sight of him adoring Terry only hurt. “No worries old man, just don’t go telling her I was here, ya hear?” He finally managed to say as he turned and left the room. “Dammit, I need a smoke to get this stress out! I didn’t ask for this shit!” He muttered as he headed to the roof.

            Not too long after Yami had left, Terry had finally woken up from her slumber. A soft groan was the signal for her father to close the book he had opened as he waited for her. “Hey Ter-bear, you gave me quite the scare there. I’m glad you’re ok.”

            “D-dad?!” She sat up straight instantly and frowned at his words. “I’m sorry…I didn’t think, I didn’t know.” The words stumble in her mind as she sat there, gripping the light sheet that was over her with her head downcast.

            “Why are you apologizing? Everyone gets sick, we don’t plan for it.” He chuckled, ruffling her messy hair a little. “Now, I got the clear to take you home early. You can rest up better there ok?”

            “Yeah…ok,” slowly she stepped on to her feet. The room spun a little, but her father was quick to help support her.

            “Easy there, lean on me ok sweetheart?” With a gentle kiss to her head he walked her to the door. Terry obediently listened, unable to really argue. Something was off though. She turned to look at the seat that was next to her. It was empty.

_Someone was there right?_

            “Terry, you ok?”

            “Huh? Oh yeah, I uh was just checking something.” With a shake of her head she left the room. There was no clue left behind and it bugged her a little. Her hand was warm, like someone had been holding on to it. _I’m imagining things…I mean dad probably was holding it while waiting or something._ “We can go,” she smiled and walked out of the room without another glance.

            As the two head down the halls, they pass by a particular classroom where the door was ajar, the sounds of hushed voices only audible to anyone next to the door. Inside, Anzu was furious and demanded Kyohei for some idea.

            “Annie, you need to chill the fuck out! You’re letting that skinny bitch get to you too easily and she hasn’t even done much yet. We just need to think of another way to ramp up our game. Yami clearly is watching us, no matter how much she gets in his head.” He coolly responded as he grabbed and pulled her close. “Now, how about we use this pent up energy you have for something better than talking about her?” The words were more than enough to have Anzu yield it seemed as she pulled him in to a heated kiss, uncaring of anyone who would be passing by. His hands groped and roamed her body skillfully, but far from anything loving. There was only the need for touch and nothing more.

            As this conspired within, Atem lay on the roof watching the clouds drifting across the blue sky. His gaze was distant as he thought of his own father, the memories he had with him before he was cruelly ripped away from him at such an early age. Gritting his teeth he hopped up on to his feet.

_Fucking shit, I can’t seem to relax!_ He kicked his half full can of soda hard, the innocent aluminum crashing in to the fencing that was set up around the roof for safety. “Tch, fuck this!” He spat before he forced himself to go pick up the trash. He stopped at the sight down below, unable to tear his eyes away.

            Terry had been allowed to change her clothes before heading home. Jonouchi joining them as he carried her things along with his. Any gratitude she expressed was silenced with his signature grin and thumbing of his nose. He was not going to hear of her thanking him for something so simple. He liked that she was relying on him. She would definitely thank him later in some other way if not now.

            As they neared the gate, she felt off. _No…I know this feeling. Someone watching me._ She turned her head back at the school, her gaze flickering from the each empty window until she noted the figure all the way up top. The bright light was blinding, disguising the stranger in a shadow as she squinted to see well, eyebrows furrowed and nose scrunched in concentration.

            Atem froze as she looked back at him, gripping the fence. _She can’t be looking at me, that’s bullshit. I mean not like she would know to look…._ He argued, rationalizing with his heart that was far from following this simple logic. It thumped dully, slow. His ribs a little constricted, his lungs unable to take a proper breath and holding on to what they could. He stared back down at her, not about to back down. He was unable to make out any details from the distance. _She probably has her nose all wrinkled up and shit, squinting and trying to see. Moron,_ he chuckled to himself at the thought of her face. _Definitely all screwed up…not sexy at all, like always._ “Definitely not sexy,” _but cute…wait what?_ He quickly stepped away from the fence as if it gave jolt of electricity. _The hell she’s cute…an annoying pest is more right!_ He huffed and turned, leaving the roof as Terry turned and continued to follow her father and Joey who call out to her.

_I wonder…who was that, I’m probably just imagining things. It did kinda look like Atem…yeah right! Why would he be there watching?_ She waved off the thoughts as silly, slipping in to the taxi that was called for them. With one last fleeting glance at the roof, the figure was no longer there as the school rolled out of sight. _Yeah, just seeing things. It’s the fever making me overreact._ Leaning against her father, she curled up in to his side a little and closed her eyes as the passing scenery causes her spinning head throb with pain.


	22. New Texting Buddy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sick in bed, everyone starts to send in there well wishes...including a mysterious classmate.

            The next day Terry is stuck at home, tucked away in bed with strict orders from her father and Jonouchi to not get in to any trouble. The fact the two had both said the same thing at the same time this morning only made her laugh out her promise. Now home alone and propped up with pillows, she set to work on the class and homework assignments when her cell phone started to light up with messages from her friends and classmates. She quickly responded to them with gratitude and assured she is doing everything to get well soon when an unknown number sends her a message. It was odd at first, until she read the message of how she is doing. She figures a classmate asked another for hers and she happily responded just the same.

<I’m good thanks for asking.> She quickly sent and closed her phone, not expecting a reply back like the others. Her ringing phone proved otherwise.

<Good, you should be more careful. Were you trying to scare everyone? I’m just glad you’re ok.>

 _Oh, a response? Ah, it’s probably a break between classes or they have a free period._ She glanced at her clock.  <Sorry, I’ll definitely be more careful next time. I really didn’t notice until it was too late I guess haha.>

            <This isn’t funny! You could’ve gotten hurt or something! I can’t believe you’re laughing at this!>

            <Well, it is kinda funny when you think about my life and how I passed out from a simple cold. Oh, before we go on, who is this?>

            <Do I have to answer that?>

            <No, but I’d like to know…I mean I could call you ‘Mystery Worrywart’ or something on my phone ;P. >

            <What, seriously? Couldn’t you come up with a better name? I mean I am the one who carried you to the nurse’s office!>

            <Oh, thank you! Well clearly I wouldn’t have known that being unconscious and all haha. How about giving me your initials? I’ll have you as that in my phone until you’re comfortable enough with telling me.>

            <…ok, A.M.>

            _A.M…Anzu Mizaki?! No way that’s true…but those are her initials!_ A small frown settled on her lips as she stared at her phone. There was no other name that was coming up with such initials that she knew of. _. She never lets me forget her name either…what do I do? Is this a trap? Is it even her?_ <So can I ask if you’re male or female?>

            <Does it matter?>

            <So Mystery Worrywart it is?>

            <What, no! Ugh, fine…I’m a dude. No I’m not lying.> Along with the text came a picture of the guy’s uniform and she sighed a little with relief.

            <Was that so hard?>

            <Yes, now change my name!>

            <I dunno, I kinda like it now….>

            <That’s not fair! I answered your question!> <You better change it!> <This isn’t fair.>

            <Hmmmm…alright, alright!> She laughed, sending the message to stop the barrage of texts that was distracting her. <There, officially Mr. A in my phone.>

            <Good, that’s the way it should be! Anyway, shouldn’t you be sleeping?>

            <Shouldn’t you be paying attention to class?>

            <…yes…I was worried ok?>

            <I know, I know. I was just teasing you, sorry. I was just catching up on classwork myself. I’m almost done…I think I’ll take a nap as soon as I finish.>

            <You better or I’ll…I won’t tell you who I really am.> She raised a brow at the threat and found herself smiling at the concern from this mystery classmate. Whoever it was, she was grateful for the companionship.

            <I will, I’ll let you get back to class now. Thanks for texting me Mr. A. Have a great rest of the day.> She sent and put her phone away as she refocused on her work.

            Though it does take some time, she managed to finish in a good amount of time and curled up for a much needed nap as she said she would. The mental exercise definitely wore her already fatigued body a little more than she anticipated. She was woken by some sounds in her room, making out her father with bleary eyes before she was succumbed by sleep once more and his gentle patting to rest. When she woke again, there was warm porridge on her bedside along with tea. Smiling, she carefully brought the food over and began to eat as she glanced through the messages and pictures sent from her classmates. The last message she received ends up being from Mr. A.

            <You better be sleeping!>

            _Checking up on me without being able to check? That’s sweet!_ She smiled as she ate.  <Yes teacher, I did. I just woke up.>

            <Good!> <How are you feeling?>

            <Definitely better, my dad made me some porridge and stopped by during lunch. I fell back asleep though after seeing it was him. I feel bad.>

            <Why?>

            <I mean he had to come home from work to check on me and cook me food. On assignments before I came here, I used to try and stay out of his way as much as possible.>

            <He probably hated that you know…I mean you’re his only kid right? Only family and his responsibility…and you don’t feel you can lean on him. He probably feels guilty too if he knows how you think.>

            <I never thought of it like that before….> She frowned at her phone once more. Had she made her father feel lonely by doing what she thought was the best help for him. <I didn’t mean to do that though….>

            <I’m sure he knows that…but why not try and lean on him now? I’m sure he’d love it and you’ll end up liking it too. I mean having your mom or dad care for you when you need someone the most is really comforting. When my dad was around, he’d sleep on the floor by me or my brother when we were sick.>

            _Was?_ <That’s so sweet…uhm was?>

            <He passed away…a few years ago, in an accident.>

            <Oh, I’m sorry. You don’t have to tell me about it if you’re not comfortable with it. I mean it’s definitely awkward enough to talk about that kind of stuff in person, let one via text like this! But I get what it’s like to an extent…my mom isn’t in my life. She walked out on my dad after giving birth to me.>

            <You don’t have to tell me about it…but thanks.>

            <No need to thank me, but you’re welcome. School is still going on from the time on the clock. I’ll leave you to your lessons. Thanks for the company. Hopefully I’ll be back soon.>

            <Yeah…you better, I’ll be waiting.>

            Closing her phone, she looked at her clock once more. She had finished her school work and was not tired enough to nap again. Feeling restless, she slowly washed up and got dressed in warm clothing with a cough mask on her face. She had a slight craving for something sweet and knew there was nothing at home.

            _I’m sure they wouldn’t care if I ran to the market real quick. It isn’t that far…plus they’re both busy and won’t be home until later._ She thought as she locked the door behind her and headed off. _Nothing bad could possibly happen._


	23. Convenient Meet-Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a sweet tooth guiding her, Terry heads in to the local convenience store to answer the call. Who knew she lived so close to her new friend and his overly friendly grandfather!

            It was not a far walk to the small convenience store, though in her current state it felt like forever. Her head was heavy and her brain felt groggy, the sun stung at her dry eye, and the mask made her feel like she was just breathing back in the virus. She really wanted something sweet to eat though, and a little exercise would help her.

 _It’s not like I’m running a marathon anyway._ She thought, validating her actions.

            The refreshing whoosh of air conditioned air at the pull of the door was welcomed by her body. The fever was acting up again and she felt she had just walked across the desert wearing nothing but the thickest and finest furs that would be perfect for arctic. Taking in the cool air, she leisurely walked through the aisles as she debated what form of sugar her body was hungering for.

            _Chocolate…no, caramel…no, fruity…no_ , and down the line she went as she looked at the colorful wrappers and big bold type across it. What did she even want? She walked all the way here, and yet she was not even sure what to buy. With a sigh she headed to the section for some hot/cold compresses, at least this she knew would be helpful. The sound of smaller hurried footsteps behind her caught her ear and she turned to see familiar eyes. Well, the color was familiar enough.

            “You’re the lady that saved me and my friend!” The young voice shouted as he pointed at her. She tilted her head to the side as she forced her hazy mind to start working until it clicked.

            “Oh, you’re his younger brother!” She straightened her head and smiled, her eyes squinting a little though the mask hid her mouth. “I’m glad to see you’re alright! Are you here alone?” She asked, looking around the place.

            “No, not today. I’m here with my grandpa.” He pointed to the elderly man in overalls and a bandana. “Mom said we needed some juice and yogurt so we came by, I didn’t know you came here too! Do you live nearby?”

            “Yeah, actually I do. By the way, what’s your name?”

            “My name is Yugi! What’s yours?”

            “You can just call me Terry,” she chuckled softly at his enthusiasm. “Is your friend ok?”

            “My friend? Oh, you mean Moki! Yeah, he’s good! He lives farther from here though so we couldn’t really bring him with us.” He explained. “What are you here for? Are you sick?”

            “Ah, yeah…a little bit.” She laughed off as she recalled her fatigue and the items in hand. “I also wanted to get something sweet to eat though. Any suggestions?” Yugi suddenly fell in to a silence as he crossed his arms and lowered his head in serious thought. Terry tried her best not to laugh or awe aloud at how adorable he looked as she awaited his response.

            “Oh, I usually want pudding when I’m sick! It’s cold and easy to swallow without all the chewing.” He suddenly jumped out of his pose, arms at his side before he grabbed her free hand and led her to the fridge. Pressing a finger to the cool glass, he beamed and went on about this specific brand and the good and bad flavors they have as well as his experiences with each. She happily listened to the little boy chatter on.

            _He’s definitely the complete opposite of his brother that’s for sure! Well now anyways…I wonder, was Atem like him when he was younger? I’m guessing he’s either in class or ditching class right about now. Though, there are only an hour or so left for school._ She glanced at the clock behind the store clerk as Yugi led her to another brand of pudding he liked and resumed his narratives.

            “Yugi, you shouldn’t be tugging someone around like that talking about pudding!” A gravely old voice sighed from behind Terry. She turned to see the grandfather and gave a small wave.

            “No, it’s fine. I asked him for his opinion.” She lightly laughed off as Yugi nodded his head in agreement to her.

            “I’m sorry about him,” the grandfather smiled at Terry and leaned in closer to her. “How about I take you out to dinner as an apology?” He offered, a wide grin on his face. Terry leaned back from him, not really sure how to take this suddenly friendly behavior.

            “Uh no, I’m good.” She chuckled weakly as she took a step back. He took a step forward. She took one more step back and ended up tripping on Yugi. In an attempt to save the young boy, she grabbed the fridge door and slipped off of her own feet as she twisted her body.

            “She’s my friend grandpa! Don’t be so weird with her! You always do this!” Yugi huffed and shook his head as he stepped between her and his grandfather.

            “Oi, that’s hurtful you know! I’m a lonely old man. There’s nothing wrong with company.” He frowned at Yugi in return. Terry watched the two, amused and very much confused by the turn of events. This clearly was a normal thing and she was being hit on by his grandfather.

            _Oh joy…this is awkward._ She thought as she carefully got back on her feet.

            “Quit being a perverted old man in public.” The deep baritone sound growls out the words from behind Terry in discomfort. Though obviously irritated in tone, the sound itself was soothing, deep like a bass. She tensed up as she matched the voice to a possible person.

            _Oh boy, I’m gonna be in trouble again?_ She thought, turning to get a look at the owner of the voice. “H-hey,” she chuckled weakly and waved.

            “What, you?! What the hell are you doing out here?!” Atem gaped a bit, relieved to see she is up but angry to see she was pushing herself again. _She is nothing but a ball of trouble. I swear she is trying to kill me or something!_ He thought with a shake of his head.

            “Yami,” Yugi cheered excitedly and hugged his brother’s leg. “How’d you know we were here?”

            “Mom told me so I came by to help.” He ruffled Yugi’s hair. Seeing an opportunity, their grandfather grabbed her free hand and was once again too close for her comfort.

            “How about we leave the children to talk and I get to know a pretty girl like you a little better?” He offered.

            “No, no, I’m good. Really, thanks for the, err, offer. I’m plenty good with space.” She insisted and tried to pull away without harming him.

            “Let her go Gramps.” Atem sighed and forcefully pulled the two apart and kept a hold of Terry’s hand.

            “To think my own grandchildren would be so cruel to me!” He sniffled and Terry suddenly felt guilty.

            “You can save those eye drops for when you’re watching TV without your glasses.” Atem rolled his eyes and grabbed the small bottle that was practically empty.

            “O-oh, what do you know.” He chuckled weakly and grabbed the bottle. “I better go grab some more!” He quickly left the scene. Terry heaved a much needed sigh of relief, but looked to see Atem still holding her close.

            “I, uh, I’m sick so I shouldn’t…well you shouldn’t be too close.” She quickly said as she stepped back from him.

            “Yami, she’s the one that saved me!” Yugi pointed up to Terry. “She’s my friend.” He grinned broadly and Atem felt himself frozen in place.

            _What the fuck? Since when are you two friends? What shit is she trying to pull?_ He glared at Terry unknowingly, until she backed up in to the fridge door.

            “It’s not good to be friends with Yugi?” She asked, trying to keep calm though the sudden glare had her completely off guard.

            “What? No, I uh, it’s cool. I mean he likes you so it’s cool.” He cleared his throat and Yugi cheered. “Go grab what you want so we can start heading home.” He said and Yugi obediently ran off to grab a basket and his grandfather. An awkward silence filled the space between them after Yugi left. The two teens just stared at anything except for the other.

            “You guys look alike-yes?!” Her words are cut off when his hand suddenly hits the fridge glass right beside her head. She finds herself dangerously close to someone who had quite the dangerous air about them. Her heart had started to pounding at her chest and the scent of his cologne, spicy and earthy like cinnamon and roses. She had been close to him many times now, but she never really took in to account his scent. Maybe it was her fever.

            “Do you even know?” _You’re driving me crazy! You do these stupid things, coming here. You’re friends with Yugi who usually never likes people I know and then my grandfather-just fucking hell. Are you that vulnerable?_

            “Uhm, A-Atem?” She hesitantly called his name since his head was down. She tensed when his head suddenly snapped up and her eyes were locked in place with his. “Are you ok?”

            “I’d be better if you stopped doing stupid shit.” He scowled and sighed again. “I didn’t know you lived nearby…I’ll walk you home. Hurry up and grab what you wanted to get.” He pushed off the door and stepped back. “Well, hurry up!” He snapped as she stood there.

            “Don’t snap like that, it’s rude and we’re in public.” She scolded him firmly as she stood up properly. Her head was definitely spinning now from how close they were. She was able to see each of his long lashes and how they lined his eyes perfectly. “Plus, I’ll tell Yugi you were mean to me!” She stuck her tongue out at him and Atem just stared at her, biting his tongue as she grabbed the pudding Yugi gushed over the most. She was about to head to the counter when the items were plucked from her hand and suddenly Atem was paying for them.

            _Who does she think she is, telling me what to do like that? She’s been doing that since day freaking one. One of these days, I’ll show her!_ He thought, grumbling in childish silence. He was unable to admit his concern for he so he had snapped instead.

            “C’mon, you’re taking forever!” He scowled and turned to his grandfather and Yugi who stood behind them in line. “I’m walking her to her place, I’ll see you at home.” He waved to them. Terry felt a tug on her wrist as she was led out of the freezing store and in to the pleasant sunlight.


	24. The Walk Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is no way Atem can just let Terry go home alone like this, she was barely able to stand in gym. That has nothing to do with him though, so why is he bothering?

            Why he was doing this again? This was a mystery to the both of them. There was no rational reason for him to take her home. Looking back at their history together, he never even walked in to class the same time as her. When they had lunch together, either he left first or she left first. The only time they came in together was the day they ran and she feinted from her fever. There had to be a reason. There is always a reason, and not ‘just because’.

            _That’s right, because she’s a crazy person who decides to walk out with a fever that had her passing out in school! She’s a death sentence waiting to happen!_ Atem thought for the umpteenth time as they walked from the counter to just outside the doors of the store. It was hardly much distance, but it was enough to have his mind reeling with reasons to cover his actions. _That and Jonouchi will be pissed if he found out I just let her walk home like this on her own. She’d definitely end up in some kind of a trouble._

            _I really don’t get why he’s doing this…though oddly enough, he doesn’t smell like smoke. Huh, I wonder why? Maybe because of Yugi? He probably showers before going near him. That’s so sweet of him, though shouldn’t he be walking with his family?_ “I can walk myself back home, you really don’t have to walk me back.” _This doesn’t explain why he is insisting on walking me home. I did get here on my own, I’m sure I’ll be fine getting home. Plus, isn’t he worried someone will see us? That usually is a big thing for him._ She recalled the one afternoon she had asked why he never came with her to class. _‘Because it’s a pain in the ass trying to explain why were together. They’ll get even chummier with me knowing I spend time with you!’_ She had chalked it up to him being shy and awkward. “Someone from class might see is together.”

            “And leave you to go ADD and go off on to who knows what adventure? You don’t have as clean of a track record as you assume you do, I hope you know that. Since joining school you back talked to me, raced against my ex, incited some punks to chase after you and Jonouchi, you insist on spending lunch with me as well constantly tell me what to and not to do, and let a fever progress so much that you literally collapsed in the middle of gym class.” He listed, Terry frowning at the tally. “As for classmates, who gives a fuck? I’m not on school grounds and neither are you. If they wanna start shit about me trying to help the crazy sick new girl home, they can be my guest. They’ll have to deal with me if it gets annoying.” He picked up his pace at the words, tugging her a little harder by the wrist.

            “H-hey, some of those weren’t my fault you know! She’s the one picking on me and you were being a jerk-butt before! If I didn’t divert their attention Yugi and his friend would’ve been pummeled, and how was I supposed to know I was going to get so sick?!” She argued back. “Can you walk a little slower, I’m tripping over here! My arm isn’t a leash!” She huffed, but suddenly crashed in to his back when he abruptly stops. The collision has her stumble back and almost fall, but his hand keeps her on her feet as Atem stares at his hand holding her wrist.

            _When did I, ah fuck it!_ Grabbing a hold of her hand, he turned his face forward and cleared his throat. “Do we keep going straight or what?” His heart thumped in his chest, the sudden realization that he just grabbed her and started walking dawning on him. _I swear, I’m too old for this shit!_

            “Uh yeah, straight for the next three blocks.” She raised a brow at his lack of arguing back, but does catch a few snippets of his grumbling as they began to walk. _His pace is slower…he’s trying to match me._ She smiled softly at the small action and carefully stepped alongside him. “Did you go to class today?” She finally spoke up after giving him a moment to calm down a little.

            “Why does that matter?” He scowled his response as she expected him to. She always tried to get him to attend the classes and she figured she was getting him to listen more and more, but he had his moments of just ditching for a few days as if rebelling against her.

            “It does to me,” she shrugged lightly in response. “So did you?”

            “Yes, I did.” _How the hell does my going to class matter to you?! I’m the asshole remember? The fuck am I answering her for anyway?_ No one ever really cared about his school attendance outside of his parents. Yugi was the main reason he even went at all. His mother would never know if he went or not unless the school actually cared to call her. _Even Anzu or Kyohei did not care, why does she?_

            “That’s good, I’m glad. You’re talking to classmates a lot more too right? I noticed you talking more with them, and they don’t mind talking to you as much.” She continued on, sincerely happy about the fact he is showing some effort to get along with them. The fact he was even coming to classes more and more was a relief to her too, knowing how he cared about Yugi she figured getting him to come to class would be important. She felt bad about using the young boy, but he was the only motivator she could think of at the time. He had been so adamant against going. Why she wanted him in class, she had no clue. _I guess…it’s because of Joey. I mean him and Atem were friends at some point according to Honda…really good friends at that._ She thought over what she was told as they stopped at the end of the sidewalk to wait for the light.      

“That’s because you keep talking to me and acting like we’re the best of friends.” She looked up at his words, the scowl making her laugh.

            “Well, we are friends right?”

            “ **No we aren’t**.” He cut her off quickly, his embarrassment getting the best of him at the moment. The words were quick and sharp, spilling from his mouth before he was able to even process them. The slight widening of her eyes before her head shifted down was enough to make him realize his mistake. Her partially lower lids and the sadness in her eyes was unmistakable and his fault.

            “O-oh…ok,” she faltered a little at his words. They left a small sting in her chest, or maybe that was just her fever? She really was not sure, with him she always ended up second guessing herself more and more. _What am I thinking? He spends time with me on his own. Now anyways, at first I kinda just forced myself on him. I should know by now that he’s probably too embarrassed or maybe he’s not comfortable enough yet? Kinda like a cat._

            _Wait, fuck! I didn’t mean to say that! Shit, the hell is wrong with me? So what if we’re friends? Nothing wrong with that right?_ He mentally berated himself, his jaw clenched as his hand squeezed hers lightly, an involuntary action as he tried to get her to understand. The subconscious effort to somehow tell her he was just not use to this type of scenario and vulnerability making him snappish and rude.

            “That’s fine, you’re still a friend to me.” She smiled at him, swinging their hands a bit after the squeeze, an excuse for her to squeeze lightly back. The simple motion had to be stopped as she coughed at a sudden dryness in her through. “Sorry about that. Anyway, you don’t mind them talking to you though you complain about it. You still talk to them instead of scaring them off.”

            “Bite me,” he grumbled. He could just imagine the cheeky grin under that mask. He scowled back at her. _That same annoying shit eating grin where she knows she’s right and there’s no damn way for me to prove her wrong._ Oh how he would love to punish that mouth for being so disrespectful to him. Though, his thoughts are far from punishing as one method comes to mind and it has his face red in no time. _Th-the fuck was I thinking about kissing her for? Like I’d ever kiss her! She’s practically manly looking!_ He looked down at her and noted she was not that manly looking at all. His eyebrow twitched. _She’s clueless and a trouble magnet. I don’t need more trouble in my life._

            “I would, you know I would. I’m just sick.” She pointed to her mask, his face turning red at the memory. It was a random lunch day, they had gotten in to a small heated battle over something. It was stupid to him, so very stupid. So much so, he had forgotten the topic.

            _Or maybe I forgot from shock._ He recalled having told her to ‘bite him’ as a snippy remark and she had literally bit him. He had turned away in triumph when he felt small square hard things dig in to his shoulder. There she was, glaring up and him, cheeks red and her teeth lightly digging in to his skin. It was safe to say many things had flooded his mind at the moment, the first and strongest one shock as she pulled away from him with her arms crossed in some form of ‘there you go’. The blood that drained from his face had quickly rushed back as he started yelling at her for doing that and a whole different yelling match ensued then.

            “I didn’t forget, trust me. And I still plan on payback! Just you wait!”

            “Sure, I’m still waiting.” She laughed and suddenly tugged him to turn right. “This way, we’re not too far now.”

            “Was that a challenge, don’t you challenge me!” He scoffed at her as they walked down the path. He noted her going a little slower than before so he slowed his pace more. “You tired?”

            “Oh, no, just…I don’t know.” She honestly had no clue why she had slowed down. She should actually hurry up home since she was getting overheated again. His hand felt so comforting, larger than hers and slightly callous. “Atem…do you play an instrument?”

            “What makes you say that?”

            “Your hands are a little callous…not that it’s bad. I mean mine are callous for other reasons, so I can’t really complain. Not that I was.”

            “I do, I used to play the guitar a lot. I’m surprised you noticed.”

            “Used to? You should keep playing if you have time. I wish I learned how to play an instrument.” Terry looked up at the blue sky.

            “It doesn’t really matter if I play or not. Not like it gets me anywhere.” Atem followed her gaze to the sky since she had stopped. “We shouldn’t be stopping, you need to get to bed. Don’t make me carry you.”

            “I think that’s more punishment for you than for me, you’re the one who’ll be as red as a ripe tomato!” She pointed to his reddening cheeks.

            “Why you-I wouldn’t-fuck you!” He scowled once more, Terry was surprised it was not a permanent expression at this point. It made her laugh though. “You sure you aren’t faking sick? You’re talking back just fine!” He huffed and tugged her onward once again, but kept his pace easy enough for her until they stop at a nice little house in a quiet neighborhood. “The fuck are you snickering at?” He frowned and furrowed his brow, catching the small sound.

            _Busted,_ she snickered a little more at his words. “No reason, just was thinking about stuff.” She waved off. _If I told you it was finding your reactions adorable you’d definitely kill me._ “Do you wanna come in for a bit? Freshen up a bit before you go back home? If you want, you can stay for dinner too. Dad usually works late today, he can’t really just up and cancel his classes just because I got sick.” _After me insisting that he don’t do that._ “Well?” Atem blankly stared at her, as if debating calmly over what he was able to do. On the inside, it was a whole different story.


	25. Impromptu Dinner

            The sun began to set, the once blue sky now orange and purple. A relaxing breeze of spring blew through the open window, but it eased no tension. Atem sat stiff as a board in this unknown household. Why had he agreed to this? There was no reason for him to agree to this.

 _And yet here I am…sitting in the living room._ He thought dryly, his hands balled in to tight fists that grabbed at the denim that covered his legs. His jaw was clenched shut, as if wired that way. His teeth pressed against each other as his eyes quickly surveyed the simple yet quaint abode. Various odd decorations were out on display, obviously from all over the world. He dared not breath, unsure of the frailty of it all.

            Moments ago he was standing at the front door. The invite in had taken him by complete surprise. He had no intention of coming in. In fact he had a vehement refusal poised and ready on his habitually sharp tongue. What had stumbled out of his mouth was far from it though. He was surprised he had heard his own voice give that answer.

            “Sure, I’ll come in. I’ll ask my mom if it’s ok.”

            “Ok, cool. You can use the home phone if you like.” She pointed to the phone set out on a side table in the hallway, situated across the living room. “I’m gonna go get us something to drink and put this away.” She raised the plastic shopping bag in hand and was off before he could change his mind or protest. The door had shut behind him and he found himself stuck at the entrance. Trapped.

            The phone call was quick and his mom was more than happy that he was hanging out with such a nice girl. It was clear that his grandfather and Yugi filled her in on what happened at the store. The excitement in her tone was far too obvious, she was definitely planning or assuming there was more to this than friendship. A hopeless romantic that was what his mother always was. A sweet hopeless romantic who had refused to find another because she still was in love with their father.

            That was how he now found himself in her living room waiting, tense. His eyes darted between the front door and the hallway she had disappeared down. It must have only been a few minutes since she departed, but it felt like years. _Where the hell is she? Don’t tell me she feinted again-shit what if she did?! What the hell am I doing just sitting here!? I should be getting her stuff, screw the damn manner code or whatever the fuck formality calls for!_ He shot up from the couch in a blind worry when something caught his attention and before the impending crash could happen his arm shot out and grabbed.

            “Oh jeez, you scared me for a minute!” Terry sighed softly, saved by Atem’s quick reflex. “You were so deep in thought I didn’t want to disturb you.”

            “What, no! Geez, I was going to check up on you! You should be resting, not serving me!” He scowled. “You said you wanted to eat pudding so let’s grab that and get you back in bed where you belong.” His tone was harsh, reprimanding her for going out of her way, but it had not dawn on him until just now what he had said and soon his cheeks were as red as her feverish ones. Her being so close to him as she was did not help either as he stared down at her.

            She noted his blush and was utterly confused by it, not realizing the double meaning behind his words. She, though well-traveled, was a clueless individual when it came to romance. She had read about it in history and books, but she never had associated such a thing in her life. She fantasized like any other girl, but there was no dream boy or dream scenario. Just the thought of how it would be wonderful to have and to hold as well as be had and held. Blinking, she stared at him for a good long moment.

            “Ok, uhm…sorry about that. I need to go grab it though. Could you mind letting me go?” She asked, her wrist tightly held in his hand. Her heart thumped in her chest as she felt his solid body against her own, the odd sensation thrilling. _It’s probably because I almost fell plus the fever. There isn’t any other real reason._ She quickly assessed, and stepped back from him once released. “I’ll go grab the pudding and be right back.” She adjusted her shirt and smiled once more before she left.

            In her sudden rescue, the glass had teetered and tilted, finally spilt on to her shirt when he yanked her towards him to avoid hitting the floor. What she had not realized was that her shirt had become slightly sheer where the water spilled though it clung to her. She figured she would simply change once they got upstairs.

            Atem had noticed the water stain and watched the shirt slowly become sheer where most of the water had fallen. It had fallen on to the front of her right shoulder, just above her breast and slowly seeped from there. When she had tugged her shirt to sit better instead of cling, it only brought the wet part lower and he could make out something green under the shirt as it lay atop her breast now. A slow smirked curled on his lips as she ran off, which he tried to cover with his hand as he nodded and looked off to the side casually.

            _Well that was a much better surprise. Her fault for being so damn vulnerable. She’s just like all the others girls! I knew it!_ He thought, spinning the tale for his own comfort when he noted the glass on the table that was set for him and frowned. _If she wanted to mess around she would’ve just went straight to it though…plus she’s sick. There’s no way she’s that calculating…in this anyways. Right?_ He thought.

            “Got it, shall we head up to my room then so you stop yelling at me?” She pouted a little, the pudding in hand and the shirt shifted no more though it looked like she had tried to dry it up some.

            _Definitely not calculating…she’s clueless._ He internally shook his head as he ran a hand through his hair and nodded. “Sure, let’s head up.” He nodded, but pulled off his hoodie and rested it over her shoulders. “Put this on, you need it.” She looked at him curiously as she looked down at her shoulders. “Your shirt is sheer from getting wet.” He watched as the pieces slowly clicked in her mind and her eyes went from confused to wide as her cheeks got redder under the mask and the hoodie was yanked shut.

            “Why didn’t you tell me?!” She huffed, turning her back to him as she fumbled with the zipper a bit and shut it.

            “I didn’t want to be rude,” he shrugged with a smug smirk on his lips. “Plus, I don’t want anyone else seeing it.” He sang in her ear, laughing as she jumped forward and in to the staircase bannister. _Clueless and oh so innocent. This is going to be fun._ He chuckled to himself as Terry glared at him.

            _What the hell?! He didn’t want anyone else to see? There’s no one else here but us! He’s still a jackass!_ She scowled under the cough mask as she glared at him. Her heart was definitely pounding against her chest now and there was no doubt about why. This was the second guy to see part of her, but this time it was not her brotherly figure of a best friend. No, this time it was the wild and fiery school punk that she recently befriended and she was unsure how she should feel about this. “There’s no one else here but us!”

            “Someone could’ve walked in you know. You told me Jonouchi lives here now.” He pointed to the guy shoes that were clearly not his or her father’s. The fact still irked him in a way. He really did not know why, so he let it be for now. “Alright you bag of germs, time to get upstairs.” He smiled a little wickedly, clearly pleased that he was able to get in his daily teasing of her.

            Unable to come up with a retort, she straightened up with the help of the bannister and tried to steady the swimming world as the blood rush to her head and racing heart sent her fever in to a slight flare. Seeing her teeter a bit, Yami quickly scooped her up after downing his glass of water.

            “C’mon, you need to get to bed.” He said sternly. “No fighting me or I’ll drop you on your ass or we’ll both end up falling down these stairs. Where’s your room?” He sighed, taking a step at a time slowly to avoid making her motion sick or dizzier. Following the simple directions, he lightly nudges the door open and set her on the bed before getting a good look around. _I should’ve known there’d be books galore._ He sighed, but also noted the cork board of pictures of her and her father in various places. The sheets of her bed were clearly foreign with rich jewel tones that accented the curtains on her window as well. Various trinkets and mementos lined the shelves and dresser along with jewelry. It was an odd mix of everything, but nothing was too overpowering than the other.

            “I wanted a little bit of all my travels in my room, reminding me of what I’m aiming for.” Her voice snapped him out of his observations and he plopped himself on to the foot of her bed with a small ‘yeah?’ in response. “Yeah, it’s such a big world…and I feel more comfortable there than I do here. I guess that’s kinda odd if you think about it since I was born here.” She laughed off.

            “I don’t think so, you were raised out there so that’s more home for you than here.” He answered, turning to look at her. “You can be born anywhere, home is where you’re most comfortable and it can be a number of places.” Grunting he pushed himself back to lay on her bed. Maps decorated the ceiling as well as pictures, an interesting choice to have but then again why had he expected her to have a normal room? _This **is** normal for her._ He shook his head of the thought and turned on his side to look at her. Before he could speak, a pudding cup with a spoon was outstretched towards him.

            “Here, since you won’t let me cook we’ll have to be waiting on Joey or my dad to come. In the meantime we can eat this.” Placing the two on the bed before him, she leaned over her bed once more and grabbed one for herself. Pulling her mask off, she ripped open the lid and happily dug in to the sweet. The cool gelatinous treat was very easy to swallow and very much appreciated by her slightly sore throat from the acid reflux she had overnight due to the fever.

            “I swear you and him are just the same.” He snickered before sitting up and eating his own pudding. He stared a little at the cup, curious as to why she was always sharing food with him so freely. At first he thought she assumed he was poor or something and it irked him. He was not some charity case after all. That notion was quickly correct by her when she explained she hate meeting with someone empty-handed. To bring a small gift of any kind was something she had learned while being raised abroad. It was odd to him, but it made sense after he thought over the many instances of them meeting up. She would bring even when he showed he had brought or bought lunch.

            _Oh shit, I didn’t bring anything with me here and this is my first time here!_ He thought, feeling a little guilty since she had always brought him something. _It’s not like I asked her to though, I mean she chose to! But still…this is her house._ He chomped on his pudding in deep thought.

            “Is the pudding putting up a fight?”

            “Huh?”

            “Is the pudding fighting you? You’re glaring at it.” She poked at his furrowed brows.

            “Yes, the pudding is being a bad patient and not staying still so I’m teaching it a lesson.” He rolled his eyes at her, earning a small laugh from her.

            “I’m not that bad that you have to use the pudding as my effigy do you?”

            “You’ve clearly never dealt with another you before.” He scoffed and from there the conversation flowed from food to her trinkets and everything in between. Midway, Jonouchi had come home finally and brought the food with him. He was surprised to see Atem there, but noted he was respectfully keeping Terry in bed and that was all that mattered to him. He cautiously joined them with the food and they all began to chat away about the day she had missed and whatever new or exciting was the hot topic among the classmates before doing some homework together.

            Aslan was greeted by the sound of laughter and light yelling from upstairs, confused by what could possibly be going on. When he had come in to the room, the boys were wrestling one another over some sort of card game it seemed and Terry was merrily laughing in bed. His entrance was quickly recognized by her and he easily side stepped the two and checked up on her. She happily informed him of her day’s adventure and explained to him who the new boy was that had Jonouchi in a headlock at the moment.

            _Oh wait, that’s the boy who was sitting with her in the nurse’s office. Atem I believe he said was his name._ “Well I definitely don’t want to get in between that, so I’ll leave you all be. Don’t get too excited now and rest up ok? Call me if you need anything.” He gently patted her on the head and smiled warmly. She nodded, smiling brightly at him and watched as he slipped out of the room unnoticed by the two who finally settled down from their tussle. Soon after though, Jonouchi yawns and heads off to his room to relax, relieved and tired from his worry over Terry. Ruffling her hair, he bid her goodnight and waved to Atem before leaving the room.

            At the point, a small silence fell over the two before Atem stood up and cleaned up her room a bit. All the while he grumbled about Jonouchi leaving purposely to avoid this part. Terry had tried to help him, but he merely scowled and scolded her for even moving her arm to point things out to him. She found the care cute and quietly assisted from her bed and moving only when she absolutely needed to.

            “There, clean like before.” He clapped his hands together and turned to Terry only to find that she had fallen asleep propped up against her headboard. _I swear,_ he sighed as he walked over to her and carefully laid her out on her bed and tucked her. “You better not be faking sleep or I’ll pinch your nose shut.” He mumbled, eyeing her a bit to assess that she was really asleep. The even soft breathing was cue enough. He watched her for a bit, confused with himself. Part of him wanted to stay. He wanted to hold her hand once again and this time stay until she would wake. This part of him, he had no clue what to do with. It was irrational and weird. He really had no clue what to do with it. _What exactly are you doing to me?_ He leaned down over, eyeing her gentle features. _She’s cute when she sleeps._ He smiled softly to himself as he tucked some errant strands of hair out of the way and suddenly he found himself kissing her forehead. His cool lips pressed to her sweaty and heated forehead. Flustered, he quickly pulled away and practically jumped back to the door as he awaited for some backlash or laughter from her. There was none. She was soundly asleep. His heart raced as he thought over his actions as he quickly left the room and ran to the door. Throwing on his shoes, he silently left the house in a hurry. He needed to get away from her.


	26. Back to School

            The few days that follow were a blur to Terry, the haziness a combination of fever and drug induced slumber to speed up the recovery. She hardly knew is she was waking to another day or the same day. _The congestion doesn’t help either._ She thought sourly to herself as she huddled up in her blanket as a sudden chill took over once more. Almost like clockwork she would kick off the covers only to be wrapped up in them once more. There was no proper comfort for her, the only steady slumber due to the aid of medication. Her phone had rung a few times, or so she thinks, however she was too tired to answer. That, and the sound was far too shrill for her currently sensitive system. It felt as if it was ringing insider her head instead of from the night stand.

            As she lay huddled once more, she thought back to the day Atem had walked her home. The memory instantly brought a smile to her face. It was certainly an unexpected turn of events, but fun. _The little surprise that come with a day._ She thought as she snuggled in to her pillow once more. Her heavy lids stay shut, begging her to let sleep take her once more. Unable to fight, her body slowly sank in to the comfort of her current position. She really had no clue what time it was, but it was best to sleep as much now so when her father and Jonouchi came back she would try to be more alert.

            As her days were spent battling her fever and succumbing to medicinal slumber, Atem was an utter mess at school. He was attending all the classes and taking notes! He, the rowdy could not care less about the fake concern of the paid teachers, was a slowly rising star in their eyes. His classmates even tended to spend more time with him, laughing off his sharp remarks that once scared them away.

 _It’s all because of her and she ain’t even here to take the blame!_ He angrily munched on his lunch, forced to take it now that she was not around to bring her extra with her. Before her, he would easily skip lunch and just eat double the dinner at home. He would wander the school grounds or skip out over all without a care. He was a wild and free spirit that was untamable. Now here he was grumpy for the lack of food brought to him and the lack of annoying company that brought the food. Amidst his grumbling he recalled the kiss he had given her and his face instantly burned red. _The fuck am I thinking of that for?! Not like she would know, I need to bleach my fucking brain!_ He growled audibly in distaste. It was not any help that Kyouhei and Anzu were more active and public about one another on top of the other changes.

            They had taken her lack of appearance as a sign to get back their little friend. Of everyone who was concerned with Terry’s absence, these two found it to be a blessing. A fated chance to rekindle the results of their failing plans. It was working. Each day it was obvious to see how their display grated at Atem, stabbing and twisting the knife in hopes to garner a reaction. And hurt it did. Atem was beside himself with confusion on what to do and there was no distraction from Terry who would step up and be concerned for him. He never asked for her help, yet she continued even after he told her to stop. It made no sense to him but he was not ungrateful, especially now that she was not around to help buffer it.

            On the third day of her absence, a strange occurrence happened. It was between midday classes. Kyouhei and Anzu were all over each other and practically falling on to Atem’s desk. Visibly shaking, he had grit his teeth as his fist clenched and unclenched repeatedly and mechanically when he snapped. Standing suddenly he knocked his chair back and off balance, his hands slapping the desk as he slammed them down. Seething, he was about to grab Kyouhei when someone else had. Blinking, they trio had turned to see Jonouchi. His cheeks were a little red from the heated display but his glare was firm.

            “Don’t think you’re gonna get away with this shit cause Terry isn’t here.” He snapped. “I’ve had just about enough of you two leeches sucking face whenever you can! Just, dear lord, get some decency and stop! No one once to see it! We’re in school too!” He shook his head in utter disappointment and disgust. “Do your shit where I and my buddy here don’t have to see it. Now amscray!” He shoved the two out of the classroom and clapped his hands clean before he looked to Atem. Grinning ear to ear he gave a big thumbs up before he returned to his usually friends. The class, including Atem, was left speechless before they erupted in to applause and cheers for the blonde. Atem grumbled a quiet thanks under a cough as he passed him, needing air to clear his head.

            Since then, the two of them had toned down a bit. It was still there and it still stabbed at Atem, however it was not as bad as before. Also, Jonouchi and he caught up on old times and sports. It was extremely awkward to say the least. The conversations had begun abrupt with both boys trying to come off better or stronger with halting conversation. The only really common ground they had at the moment was Terry’s health and that was the very topic that aided in the transition to normal conversation.

            It was a particularly quite afternoon as Atem lounged around on the roof. With his hands under his head he stared up at the sky. _Seven days, seven fucking days. What’s the matter with me? I mean seriously, so what if she’s been out. Who fucking cares? It’s got nothing to do with me and here I am counting every damn day like something I’ve always done! This shit is just getting to be too much. Even if I did like her by some off chance in hell, she isn’t gonna jump for joy and agree. I gave her a hard time. I’m the worst person for her to date. She’d have to be seriously braindead to want to date me. Liking her or not, it doesn’t matter…she’s not in to me and she’s better off without that added crap. Who knows what those two would do to her if they found out._ His face had gone from serene ta o grimace of pain as he thought over the odd feelings in his chest. _I’m just worried about her, I can’t have feelings for her. She’s just incapable of dealing with normal people._ He shook the thoughts aside when he heard a loud shout from below.

            Rolling on to his feet, he lazily walked over to the fence and leaned on it unceremoniously.

            “Who the fuck is yelling like that so damn early in the fucking morning?” He grumbled as he searched for the source. The scream came again. His time less high pitched than the last. “Make that two, no three, no-oh what the shit people!” He huffed until he finally sound the group. His heart instantly lodged itself in his throat at the sight of a certain brunette out of uniform. Quickly jumping to attention, he grabbed at the fence wire and pressed his face against it as he leaned in to get a closer look. Rubbing his eyes and blinking a few times he stared at the person. She was back. He was happy. _Ah fuck, I like her._

             His feet were moving before he could conjure up an excuse to stay where he was, the sound of his shoes smacking the steps as he took them by twos and then down the slightly crowded halls, pushing students out of the way as he ran. All that mattered she was back and he just had to be in his seat when she entered class. There was no way he would ever let her see him rush around like this. His pride was at stake.

            Terry laughed at the sudden excited greetings from her friends and classmates, assuring them she was fine and it was just a bad fever. Her father and Jonouchi insisted she stay home until fully better and so she had. Seeing the familiar faces and greeted with such energy, Terry was smiling all the way to the classroom. When she entered the room, she caught herself staring at the back of his head. Unsure of what to really say, she stood there for a moment.

            _I don’t want to get him anger or embarrassed about what happened…but I do want to talk to him._ She frowned. _How though? Wait, what do I mean how? I’ll just go up to him like usual._ She lightly hit her at the sudden moment and headed straight to his desk. Knocking on it to grab his attention, she grinned broadly at him. “Hi, I’m back.” He turned to look at her with the same indifference he always had, she used to it by now.

            “So?” He asked with a raised brow. _What the fuck do you mean ‘so’?! Say something you dipshit! But keep your cool!_ He scolded himself, an utter mess on the inside. Sighing, he turned to face her properly.

            “Wanna have lunch together like usual?” She asked, her smile unwavering at his lack luster response. It shocked him how unfazed she was by him and his behavior. It stung a bit, but it was more angering than anything else

 _Well what did you expect? It’s her and all I said was so like some type of braindead idiot._ “Sure, glad you’re feeling better.” He muttered under his breath, covering his mouth to hide his blush. He was not about to make this stupid mistake again during lunch.

“Great, I’ll see you then. Oh, I’m glad you’re coming to class.” Leaving him with those words he just stared at her as she animatedly spoke with Jonouchi.


	27. Rooftop Confessional

            Atem glared at the board in front of him, the rhythmic tapping and scratching of the chalk against the board with each motion of the teacher’s arm filling the air. It only added to the scratching of lead to paper as everyone took notes. He was even taking notes! It was a habit he had regrown in Terry’s absence, taking detailed notes in order to give to her. Help her keep up with the class, but he never gave them. They sat in his backpack, better set as fodder for fire instead of notes.

            _Why did I even bother? All of her friends were writing her notes for her. Jonouchi is even doing it._ He grumbled to himself as he flipped through the filled pages. Why was he still doing it? She was back, she could take her own notes. _Gaddammit, the fuck am I doing?!_ He sighed heavily as he dropped his pencil and slouched in his seat as he agitatedly ran his fingers through his hair. This was not him. Sitting in class, note taking, socializing, and caring for people was not him. However, he was not what he used to be either. He was not with Anzu, Kyouhei and her were no longer his friends, and he was no longer ditching class. _What **is** me?_ He stared at his desk with a hard frown. _I don’t even fucking know anymore._

            Thinking on his past, he only found himself grimacing now. Why was he ever proud of those antics? It was just so immature. He never wanted Yugi to know any of it. He never wanted any of his family to know of it. _Hell, I want to forget it._ He thinks as he winced at some memories that surface as he slouched even more. The sour churn of his gut and reflexive clenching of his jaw had him played continuously at each reminder. Balling his hands in to fists he took a deep breath and sat up once again. _Get a fucking grip of yourself. That shit happened. Not like you can do anything about it._

            In need of a distraction he looked at the time. Lunch was still so far away and the class never seemed longer than ever before. _Is this how time usually passes? When did it get to be so long? I’m going insane._ He groaned inwardly as he picked up his pencil again. At least note taking helped passed the time.

            Terry glanced over at Atem, watching him shift and squirm in his seat. It was quite the curious sight, but it was entertaining all the same. She really wondered what he was thinking, his perspective was always refreshing and new to her. Resting her chin on her hand, she watched his body slip and slide about in the seat, his knees spreading wide in the slouch and closing when sitting up. His lips were in a constant frown though and his brows were furrowed, a shadowed look in his eyes. Her heart thumped in her chest at the sight, lurching in her throat a bit. She did not like him looking like that.

            _What could I do though?_ She sighed, looking at the board once more before looking down at her notebook. Slipping out her phone she quickly glanced at her texts.

            <What would you do if you saw someone you care about upset and want to help out, but don’t know how to do it without them denying and fighting?> She sent to her new found text friend.

            <Straight up ask. Idling isn’t gonna do anything,> the response came quickly.

            <I guess, but what if you haven’t talked in a long time?>

            <Rip it off like tape stuck on your arm. It’s gonna hurt but done sooner.>

            <I guess…I’ll try it. Thanks.> She sighed once more as she looked back to the board, resuming her notetaking like the rest of the class. The rhythmic sound broken by the sudden snore from her right. Jonouchi had fallen asleep once more. Giving a sharp nudge to his delicately balanced elbow, he jumped awake with a shout of some answer about history. The math teacher turned to look at him with a raised brow.

            “I-I, uh, I was just…yeah.” He slowly sat back down in his seat and picked up his pencil and hid behind his book while the class broke out in to fits of giggles and laughter. With a slight headshake the teacher turned back to board and class resumed as usual.

            “Finally,” Jonouchi shouted at the start for lunch. The teacher glared at him on the way out which led to a childish sneer from the troublesome blonde. “Not my fault you make class so boring!”

            “You could’ve waited until class ended you know.” Terry snickered, cleaning up her desk and grabbing her lunch. “I’ll see you later ok? I’m headed to the roof.” She pointed up.

            “Oh, I’ll join you!” Minako chimed in from behind.

            “Oh, uh, no. Uhm, I have to talk to someone. My dad, sorry, not someone. My dad.” She quickly corrected herself and showed her phone. “He’s worried about me so I wanna just let him know I’m ok.” She explained, not sure why she had not told them she would be eating lunch with Atem. The sudden question had her panicked and she said the first thing that came to mind. _I do need to call my dad though._ “I’ll see you guys later ok?” She smiled and waved on her way out. She quickly fled down the hall, Atem still in the classroom.

            _Talk to her father huh? I guess I’m an embarrassment to her after all._ He thought, his lips turned down in to a frown as he stood frozen in place. He had gotten up to actually walk her to lunch on the roof when he heard her excuse. _Serves me right I guess._ He sighed and sauntered out of the classroom and slowly made his way up to the roof with a slight drag in his step. He took a small detour to some vending machines, grabbing a drink to elongate the time it took to get there. He found himself standing at the door sooner than expected still, hesitant to open.

 _She lied to her friends, she’s clearly just like every other lying bitch._ He scowled. _But you’re the reason why she lied though…always bitchin’ about people seeing you two together._ He sighed. _That’s no excuse to say a lie like calling her dad though…the fuck does she think I am?!_ He ruffled his hair in frustration and turned to leave back down the steps. _Serves her right for lying._ He made his way through, only to be greeted with sunlight. He had gone three steps down before running out on to the roof to see her on the phone talking to her father. _So she wasn’t lying? But wait, she said she wanted to meet up for lunch…then…what the fuck?! I’m overthinking this all over again!_ He slumped down to his feet, his head between his knees as he took a few deep breaths. This girl is driving him crazy and she had no clue.

            Terry had heard the door open just as she hung up on the phone, turning to see Atem crouched down on the floor. She stared at him a little confused as she stepped closer and crouched down beside him.

            “Uhm…Atem, are you ok?” She asked, hesitantly placing a hand on his shoulder. His body was so warm, just like when he carried held her hand. His body flinched at her touch, tensing for a moment before relaxing once more. There was a muffled response from him that had her confused and even more concerned. “Is your stomach hurting? Maybe I should go call someone or the nurse?” She started to stand when his hand suddenly grabbed at her arm above her elbow to keep her there.

            “No, I’m fine I said.” He repeated a little louder though he refused to raise his head. He knew there was a blush there that was far beyond any attempt to hide. He just needed a moment and having more people here would just cause a commotion. “Why’d you ask to have lunch if you needed to call your dad?”

            “Huh? Oh, I wanted to have lunch with you.” She answered simply as she sat cross-legged on the floor, careful of her skirt. “I promised I’d call my dad though, to let him know I’m fine.”

            “You told your friend you were just going to talk to him.”

            “Oh, well…they wanted to have lunch and you don’t like company just yet. Well last time we had lunch you didn’t like company.” She frowned a little. “Do you want them to join us? I don’t mind but…I wanted to have lunch with you like we usually do since it’s been awhile. We can invite them next time. Is that ok?” Her voice had dropped to an almost whisper, loud enough for him to hear though avoiding any hidden ears if there were any. She was afraid to offend him if he did prefer company now, his lack of any real concern since that day at her house had her a little worried.

            _Yeah, that’s definitely ok with me._ He thought, yanking her forward. The sudden motion had caught her off guard, her body reflexively tensed to try and cushion the impact of their bodies colliding as she shut her eyes. The impact never came though. The only sensation that came was the sudden pressure and warmth of something smooth firmly pressed against her lips. The slight lingering taste and smell of fruit hit her senses along with his scent. A faded touch of tobacco to his usual sandalwood. Her eyes fly open the instant it all hits her, watching him pull away. It was certainly her time to blush as she mouth falls open slightly before as her eyes grow wide with realization. A smug smirk curls on his lips as he pressed their foreheads together.

            “Being along with you is perfectly fine with me.” He whispered and she squeaked in response. With a chuckle he pulled away, watching as she tried to gather herself and her voice. Her brain was not working to her advantage at all as I replayed what just happened on an infinite loop.

            “W-what was that?”

            “A kiss,” he snickered.

            “I know that! I just, what-why?” She tried to formulate a proper sentence and her lack of ability at the moment was pure amusement to Atem. In her frustration she pushed at his shoulders a bit. “That was-you should warn people! Y-you can’t just up and kiss just anyone one you know that!” She argued when he caught her by the elbows once again.

            “I didn’t just kiss anyone…I kissed you.” He said, a sudden stern expression on his face which easily silenced her for the moment. “I don’t just kiss anyone either…not anymore anyways…I don’t do that. I’m not like that anymore and it’s because of you. I kissed you.”

            “Why though? You call me annoying and meddlesome! You’ve made a set point to say I’m childish and weird too you know!”

            “I do, I still stand by all that and I still think you’re a lost cause when it comes to avoiding trouble. You’re a born magnet for shit.” He sighed, but a slight smile soon followed. His expression was serene, charming as he kept her hair from falling her face at the sudden breeze. “You’re overly considerate and you make people worry. You spent time with an ass like me and even saved my brother who was a total stranger. You have a unique sense of not caring about insults to you but you’re overly righteous when it comes to others. You’re unpredictable yet predictable all the same. You’re genuine and kind…spending time with me and even making lunch for me. I…I like you.” He whispered, his gaze dropping to her lips once more before he pulled her in to another kiss. His warm hand cupped her cheek as the other gripped at her elbow, keeping her in place. Her lips were slightly chapped and she was definitely not used to this. He had a hunch this was a possible new thing for her but dismissed it.

            She had been silently staring at him in awe until his face came closer. Quickly shutting her eyes at the second kiss, a little more prepared but still very much under skilled as well as overwhelmed. Her cheeks burned with a blush that would make the sun shy away from its heat, her heart thumped at her chest as time seemed to slow to an almost halt yet it was over in an instant as he pulled away once more. Licking her dry lips nervously she gripped at his sleeves.

            _This is all way too sudden! Since when?_ She wracked her brain for some sort of clue but she found herself unable to look passed his many expressions and smiles over the months they had spent time together. Her gaze dropped to the floor before looking back at him. “I-I didn’t know…I don’t know what to say or do. I never thought of this sorta thing before.”   

            “So you actually never kissed someone before?” He asked and she shook her head. “Can’t say I’m surprised…I had a feeling that’d be the case. You’ve been all around absorbed in history.” He flicked her nose, grinning a little. “Can’t say I’m not glad to be your first though…I’ll teach you lots more. Don’t worry.” He purred a little and leaned closer, the sudden shift in his tone had her fumbling back on to her butt as she tried to stay away.

            “I know what more entails thank you very much! Even if I’ve never been with someone, doesn’t mean I’m dumb enough to just go blindly! Don’t make me bite you again.”

            “Maybe I like biting,” he smirked at her and watched as her face went from confusion to realization and then red all over again.

            “Ew, no! Not what I meant! You’re a closet pervert aren’t you?”

            “Closet pervert? Hardly in the closet since I am saying it to you out here on the roof you know.”

            “Then a rooftop pervert! I don’t know, just pervertedness!” She scowled at him, the sudden outburst earning a hearty laugh from him in response. Standing up, he pulled her up with him and dusted her off. “E-either way, I don’t…I can’t say I like you like that just yet. I know I like you, but this is more.” She said seriously, being upfront with him about this.

            “I know…things are going to be a lot more fun now.” He grinned, pulling her in to a hug.

            “You’re just lining me up for a series of heart attacks.” She mumbled against his shoulder, her heart pounding against her chest. She had no idea he liked her and she had never given thought to liking him like this. However, she was not against this though and even the kisses.

            “Yeah well, now you know how I feel when you do stupid shit like collapsing in gym or suddenly biting me.” He snorted back as he let her go. “So lunch?” He yawned a stretched as he plopped down next to the fence. Quickly she followed and set the lunch out, a sandwich for him and one for herself. Everything was back to normal, but a better normal as he sat there relieved he was able to get that all off of his chest.


	28. Back to Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is in store for the newly found couple?

            “Atem, Atem!” The sound of a distant voice echoed in the air around them. He looked around confused and suddenly it all began to warp around him. Terry seated happily beside him with the faintest blush was suddenly miles away and was moving further. The space between grew black as she and the world became encased in a sphere, captured in a bubble that drifted with the breeze. He shouted and reached out to her, confused and panicked when suddenly a sharp jolt had him tumble in to the darkness. Squeezing his eyes shut to avoid whatever hell was beneath he suddenly jolted up and fumbled in his seat. _What the fuck?!_ The blinding light of the sun hit first before the classroom came back in to focus.

            “Finally decided to wake up sleeping beauty?” The same female voice from before sighed, with a quick jerk of his head he turned to see Terry standing there with lunch bag in hand. “You fell asleep in class again. C’mon, you promised to have lunch with me. Let’s go.” She grinned, the same dazzling smile that was brighter than the sun.

            _Did I just…dream all that up?! But it felt so real!_ He gaped at her a bit, his cheeks slowly growing red as he recalled the kiss and his confession. “Quit mocking me!” He snapped suddenly and stamped out of the room, leaving a very confused Terry behind. His shoes slapped down the halls with the heavy pound of his steps, the only means of letting loose the pent up frustration in his head. _I can’t believe that was a fucking dream! I mean c’mon! That’s just fucking cruel!_ The students that littered the hall jumped out of his way, the anger tangible in the air about him. Only the insane or daring would tempt dealing with him and Terry was just-at least the former more so than the latter in his mind.

            Terry watched as he left the room, the sudden outburst easily labeled as random and very much confusing. She had been silent at her desk the entire time, though she had been worried about the faces he had been making until he had settled in one position and went deathly still from there. The light rise and fall of his chest was the only indicator he was in fact breathing.

            “What happened to him?” Jonouchi scowled at the doorway and Terry only shrugged in response.

            “No clue, I’m gonna go find out! See you in class.” She left before any protest could be made, maneuvering through the crowded hall with ease. The light clusters of students were nothing in comparison to the congested markets of the other countries. The boisterous shouts of sellers in the bazaar along with the heated and huddled masses under the sun. Personal space was a far off fantasy there, which now seemed like a far off fantasy in comparison to the world she was in now. She actually missed the energy and excitement of it all, though she was grateful for the lack of sweat and odors that odd mingled odors that pervaded those places from time to time.

            She quickly weaved through the little spaces with quick ‘excuse me’s and masterfully evaded collisions until she was headed up the steps and soon bursting on to the roof with a firm push to the bar of the door. There, laying on his back with his head in his hands like always, was Atem. With a slight drop in her shoulders, she sighed and shook her head.

 _You’d barely recognize anything was up just a moment ago._ She sat down next to him and nudged. “Way to just walk ahead!”

            “Yeah well, you should’ve walked faster. Like hell I’mma wait for you all the time! You’re not sick anymore.” He scowled hard, an attempt to hide whatever blush that dared to rise with the heat in him as he remembered the dream he had. _Dammit…now all I want to do is kiss you-no, no you can’t! Get a grip, the fuck are you!? A pansy ass school boy or a man!?_ As he wracked his brain, Terry watched the explosion of expressions that flitted across his face as he curled up and rocked from side to side. She really had no idea what had him so tangled, but she could not deny the humor of it all. Biting back her laughter she focused to the lunch she had brought with her.

            “Anyway, you gonna lay there making faces to the sky or are you gonna eat?” She asked, dangling a sandwich above his scrunched up face. Light she flexed at her wrist to wave the neatly wrapped food in front of gaze. When there was a lack of recognition she sighed and plopped it on to his face and started on her won. The sudden drop of something had him jump back to reality, fumbling to catch the food that tumbled down his chest and threatened to fall on to the roof between his legs.

            “Oi-oi! The fuck was that for?!” Unfazed she turned to look at him as she bit in to her sandwich with a raised brow.

            “Are you going to eat or not?”

            “I am I am,” the small grumble came back in response as he hid the food away from her. She had made it very clear she would easily enjoy all the food alone if he was not about to partake. She had even gone so far as taking the food away just before the initial bite! He narrowly missed biting his tongue that time.

            A small peaceful silence hung between them, the only sound was nature and the occasional rustling of wrappers and things as they made their way through all the food. Looking to the sky he let out a heavy sigh, shoulders drooping noticeably.

            “Penny for your thoughts?” She poked at his head for his attention since physical sensation was the only real way to grab his attention. The nudging in the classroom earlier and the drop of the sandwich easily proving this method true.

            “Penny?” He raised a brow at this term.

            “It’s a saying in US,” she quickly explained. “A penny is a the smallest amount of currency, not to say it’s putting a value on the thoughts…just a saying to express wanting to know what someone’s thinking about.”

            “How are you going to give me a penny? Do you have one? How much is that here?”

            “I do have one, but no one actually gives a penny. It’s a saying, not a literal pay…though if you want I can give you a penny. You’ll have to tell me what you’re thinking though. I think it’s about 1.03 yen if what I know about the conversion rate is up to date.” He frowned a little at the bargain as he mulled it over. He really had no need for a penny, he was not about to hop on a plan to the United States any time soon. Plus, he really had no idea what he would do with a penny since it was meager in the currency as well.

            _You can’t buy anything with that much…so not like there is any use of converting it too._ His eyebrows knit together as he debated internally about what to do. _Wait, the fuck am I even debating? How the hell am I supposed to tell her what I’m thinking! I may as well just make a fool of myself for free! Like hell I’m gonna tell her what I’m thinking! Bitch is just trying to get another laugh at me!_ His glare leveled with her as soon as his eyes snapped open and with a huff he turned his back to her with a pout.

            “Is that a no to the penny? I didn’t mean to insult you honest! I told you it was just a saying! It’s not supposed to mean a price on your thoughts!” She stressed, patting him on the shoulder as a means to pacify him.

            “Not the issue! Like hell I’m telling you what I’m thinking, its guy shit! The hell would you need to know guy shit like that for?” Terry stared at him silently for a moment as she put all the pieces together.

            _Something that’s just for guys…well that could be a ton of things. Though, I probably should narrow it down to things just guys here would think. Hmm, what would that entail though? He’s not too old school…but he does have those social norm moments._ Crossing her legs she leaned her weight on to her knees as she leaned closer to him. Atem leaned a little back as she stared at him, his face heating up once again.

            “Oi, the fuck you staring at? Hey, hey! The hell are you doing?” He snapped at her in response, but there was no response.

            “Something perverted,” she suddenly spoke up. “You’re thinking of something perverted probably…that or something super embarrassing.” His eyes widen at her words. “Well, am I right?” She asked and his face only became redder. “I’m right aren’t I?” She grinned proudly as he began to sputter.

            _Perverted? **Perverted, the hell am I thinking or showing it’s something perverted!?**_ “Like hell it’s something perverted!” He managed to finally say, his voice cracking a bit. Her eyebrows slowly rise with her head as it left her hand that acted as a rest. Her eyes grow as she leaned closer once again and he leaned back. “H-hey, stop that! The fuck is up with you! I told you, it isn’t something perverted! Are you listening to me? I said it ain’t perverted! You’re the perverted on calling me a perve-art!” His hand landed on the plastic wrap of the sandwich and left him to fall backwards and she simply climbed over him on all fours without even a single care.

            “For someone who is saying he isn’t thinking perverted thoughts…you’re quite red and protesting.” She said with a Cheshire cat grin. That grin that proved she too had a bit of mischief in her. A grin the struck something in him and had him seeing color. Unable to take this laying down, his hands shot out and tumbled them over so that she was now under him.

            “And if I was?” He growled from his chest, his hands pinning her by the wrists.


	29. Rooftop Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will his dream come true? Will they kiss and will she accept him? How will he convey how he feels?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the late update, I had some things to handle in my life.

            One moment she was looking at a red faced classmate, the next she found herself looking at the sky and soon enough that was obstructed by that very classmate. Deep azure orbs glaring down at her with some form of defiance? No, it was something else. Whatever it was, she certainly had no idea where it suddenly came from.

 _Was it something I said? No, that makes no sense._ She frowned a little as she tried to keep calm. Every muscle in her body had tensed at the sudden knock down, it second nature for her to defend herself. However, she was no longer in some foreign land with thieves and criminals lurking in every shadow. There was no someone out to get whatever her father dug up. Though she was not naïve enough to think there was absolutely no danger around. Replaying the conversation in her head, she tried to figure out what was the catalyst for this sudden outburst.

            The silence stretched between them, oppressive and tangible to him as he kept her pinned beneath her. His slightly calloused hands squeezed her wrists as he waited for her answer.

            _What the fuck, isn’t she going to react?!_ Here he had her pinned to the school rooftop, pretty much with no real way to escape him and all she was doing was staring up at him blankly with those steel-blue eyes. Unnerving just like the first time he had seen them, as if they were able to see past it all and he was unsure if they looked at him or completely passed him as well. The fact that he was either stripped bare in an instant by them or nothing of importance mixed a most frustrating concoction of anger, insecurity, confusion, and vulnerability in him. Seconds ticked away like hours as they two look at one another with him a bit disgruntled and her completely apathetic. _Fuck it,_ his hands loosened their grip to let her go as he began to sit up.

            “Well if you thought like that I guess you’re a pervert than…and judging by the looks a closet pervert? Then again, we’re not in a closet…so I guess that makes you a rooftop pervert.” Frozen in his spot he stared at her in utter shock from her response. She had not be peering in to every dark corner of his soul or picking at his mind. No, she was debating in her own head what he would be for having perverted thoughts. Not just that, it was similar to his dream. The silence stretched once more when his shoulders began to tremble and shake. Terry frowned at this, unable to see his face as he hung his head low. “Uhm, Atem?” _Is he ok_

“Why am I not surprised that **that** is what you’d say?” He finally spoke up, his words followed by his laughter. Honest to goodness genuinely happy laughter. “You’re really…such a dense idiot.” He sighed, his shoulders slumping a bit as he moved back to his spot next to her and plopped down to lay beside her. Stretching out his limbs he sighed before settling his eyes on the sky above. Terry turned to look at him however, confused by the sudden shift in his reactions. Turning on to her side she just stared at him, trying to figure this out.

            “What, don’t you know it’s rude to stare?” He sighed, unable to ignore those eyes.

            “I’m not staring, you’re just in my line of sight!” She stuck her tongue out at him, this banter a regular thing between them. “Plus, I’m still trying to understand you…I mean you react in all these different ways. I don’t want to miss any of it.” There it was, that weird observation talk she always gave. She never looked at him for him, he saw him as some object that no one had seen before. A spectacle. It was not like what the other girls saw, but it was no better either.

            “I’m not some subject of yours to examine and dissect you know!” He snapped, glaring at her. “I’m a guy just like any other! You better get that straight in your head now. I’m a person and you can’t just log me away like some shit you found at some excavation. I have perverted thoughts and you’re alone with me all the damn time on the roof. You really think I can’t do something? You can’t just be defenseless around because you’re so fucking caught up in quantifying me!” Without thinking he grabbed her arm and crashed his lips on to hers, the smooth yet callous skin just like he had dreamt, warm, but it was nothing like the kiss. At first she was stiff but then she bit at his lip pried herself free. A slight metallic taste slipped in to his mouth as he pulled away from the sharp pain. There she was, eyes wide with fear and confusion and that hurt worse than the observation mindset. _Shit, the fuck I do?!_ He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out as she slowly created more distance between them.

            _The hell was that for?_ She was not sure what had been getting to him, but she certainly had not expected him to ever suddenly flip like that. _I know he’s a guy, I mean what else would he be?_ Terry broke the stare between them as she looked away to the garbage bundled by them. “It’s not that I didn’t know you’re a guy…I wasn’t defenseless either…I trusted you.” She whispered finally as she grabbed the garbage and started to clean up. “I guess you really didn’t like hanging out...sorry, I’ll be more mindful.” With that said she left him to sit there, the words stabbing in to him as he stared at the stupidity he had just done.


	30. Reason To Help

       Terry walked back to the room with her head down, eyes glued to the floor as if the simple monotone tile had been changed with something more intricate and beautiful. She hardly noticed anything though, lost in her own thoughts about everything that had happened up until just moments ago. Of course he had been resiliant at first. They hardly knew one another and he had some vendetta with her from day one. _That all changed after the Yugi incident though._ She frowned to herself as her feet slowed to a stop. _Maybe I read something wrong? Did I do something? I don't get people. I'm a lot better with the dead than the living._ With a heavy sigh she looked out the windows at the blue sky. Funny how it seemed so much brighter before though it was as clear as it had been all day.

 _Well thinking about it now won't do me any good. Not like I know what I'm doing or how to fix this. I'll ask Minako maybe? I'm sure she'll know what to do. For now though, I should probably leave him be._ A slight pang of pain suddenly shot through her chest at the thought of missing out on the lunches, her hand rubbing the spot. "Odd," she mumbled before heading in to the classroom with a smile though her usual energy was nowhere to be seen. Luckily she had been sick for some time so no one had thought anything was off. The only few who were able to catch on were Jonouchi, Anzu, and Kyouhei. The latter two amused by this sudden shift instead of concerned like Jonouchi.

       "Hey, you ok?" He whispered to her as the class began to settle before class started.

       "I'm fine, just a lot on my mind. Gotta catch up and all." She assured him with a small smile. There was no need to worry him when he had jusr reunited with his all friend. _Plus, it wouldn't be fair to put him in a position where he has to choose sides. He's taken care of me all week too. I can handle this without troubling him._

       "Yeah, it's a ton but you'll get through it! You're a fighter." He grinned proudly as if he had something to do with it as he thumbed his nose. Atem walked backed in the room without a word or glance their way, Jonouchi a little upset by this but also confused since Terry had suddenly looked away.

       Oh my god! Yami, what happened to your lip?!" Anzu shrieked as she noted the cut on his lip.

       "Like you fucking care," he scoffed at took his seat, a heavy stone of guilt settled in Terry's gut. Her hands ball in to tight fists under her desk as she tried her best to ignore the two that were making a scene with Atem. She really had no clue what to do. Normally she was up and already out of her seat trying to help him, but after what just happened had she just been imposing on him? _Maybe he didn't want my help at all?_ She glared at her desk and clenched her jaw in frustration. _Why is it so hard to navigate with people?!_ Her head started to pound, her body still needing to take it slow with the medicine making her a little sluggish.

       The room began to spin so she squeezed her eyes shut, taking in a deep breath through her nose and slowly out through her mouth. She needed to focus. There was no need for her to get involved, right? Her involvement was more of a hindrance to him. To avoid adding to his problems, she should simply mind her own and keep life going as is. Just like everyone else.

 _Like everyone else,_ her head jerked up as the words echoed hollowly in her head and suddenly she was no longer in the regulated confines of her school life.

_She was in the muggy heat of a street market in a village. Her father was holding her hand as they were walking along, her large eyes looking around in wonder before falling upon a scene of a woman shouting for someone to help. Curious, she watched as men turned away in fear or ignored her. Families avoided her and huddled away as if she had some secret cooties that no one wanted. She tugged at her father's arm, who currently was busy looking at the wares of a vendor._

_“What's going on over there?” She pointed out as she heard her father grunt in response. “We should go, there might be trouble.” She frowned, squeezing the larger hand. Her father was silent though and she looked up, squinting against the sun to try and see what kind of face he was making. His free hand. “Baba, we should go.” She tugged again, this time she tried to pull him further away like the other adults were doing to their kids but he stood his ground with ease._

_“And why should we leave her alone?” He said in that kind yet firm tone where she knew a lesson was to be had from it._

_“Because all the other adults are doing it.”_

_“Now I know I didn't teach you that.” He chuckled lightly, waiting for her to think. With a smile he gave her little hand a squeeze and led her closer to the small circle that had formed around the mother and they saw that her son was pinned down by a large vicious looking dog. Next to them was a man in fancy clothes, the whites bright and the gold glittering in the sunlight. The sight of him made her frown and step closer to her father who looked to the richer man and then promptly diverted the dog’s attention to them by throwing a rock near it. The row of sharp teeth petrified her as it growled and snarled at them instead of the boy. Slowly it stalked closer but her father had not moved, she had only been made to stand behind his leg as he looked at the dog._

_What happened next, she was only able to refer to it as magic; the snarling large beast suddenly stopped and bowed its head to her father. With a whimper almost it timidly padded over to him and her father pet the animal. The rich man was furious by this turn of events and began to shout profanities at them. He kicked the dog and began to curse at it as well until her father had stopped the man by grabbing his arm. He swung a fist out at her father, her little heart jumping in to her throat. Her father had dodged, but then struck the fist in the direction of its swing sending the man to the floor. The crowd was baffled but applauded him for his heroism as he helped the boy on to his feet and the mother thanked him profusely. Terry still was a little confused at the lesson though, her head cocked to the side._

_“Terry, you don't need a reason to help others. Even if they think you're being a bother, help them as best you can. If it were you and I was helpless like that mother, I would've done the same thing...begging for help. Always put yourself in their shoes. Never just be like everyone else when you know you can help.”_

       Since that day Terry had followed those words as if her life depended on it, and more often than not it had actually put her life on the line. Opening her eyes, she suddenly stood up. Her seat scrapped against the floor before knocking over. Everyone turned to look at her as she turned her head and looked over at Anzu. She and Kyouhei were still heckling Atem and he was trying his best to keep his cool and mind his own. The teacher had forcibly began class until Terry's addition to the ruckus.

       “Leave him alone. He wants to pay attention to the lecture.”

       “Mind your own business bitch. We're having a conversation. You clearly aren't a part of this.” Kyouhei scoffed at her.

       “And he doesn't want to be a part of it.” She walked over to Atem's desk. Kyouhei stood up to block her path, but she sidestepped him and grabbed Atem's hand and books. Yanking him out of his seat and not listening to his protests, she leads him to her seat and places his things down. “You shouldn't be bothered here.” She grinned at him before taking her things and heading back to his desk. Kyouhei growled audibly and elbowed her roughly in the back after knocking her books and things out of hand. He seamlessly made it look like an accident though, Anzu stepping on her hand before she gave a loud 'oops' as she pressed and rubbed into Terry's hand.

       “Enough, Ms. Sharif outside now.” The teacher called out, knowing full well that Kyouhei and Anzu would hardly listen to him. Silently Terry picked up her things and placed them on Atem's desk before stepping out in to the hall where she was instructed to stand for the remainder of the class time. No sign of anger or resistance was seen on her face as she walked out. Instead, a small smile was rumored to have been seen by the class. Looking out the windows in front of her she thought back to the lesson her father taught.

_Just because he doesn’t like me, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t help him. Didn’t stop me before and shouldn’t stop me now._


	31. Unlocking Emotions

            Atem sat on the roof staring at the spot that Terry had once occupied, his mouth slightly open as his jaw went slack from shock. He suddenly felt winded, as if some pro wrestler had taken a swing at his chest and sent him flying to the ground winded. The sudden lack of oxygen made it impossible for him to think to even react, the imaginary pain all too real. The sting on his lip was the only key to letting him know this was real. This was not some nightmare where he was going to be woken from like earlier.

 _The fuck did I just, and she just, the hell!_ He let out a shout of anger as he slammed his fist on to the concrete. “Well fuck you,” he growled at the empty spot. _Wrong._ “Fuck you bitch, you only saw me as some artifact or some shit like that!” _Wrong._ “Of course I wouldn’t like hanging out if all you did was that! I got sick of it!” He argued. _Wrong, you know that isn’t true._ That annoying little voice in his head spoke up. A voice he had expertly ignored up until now. No thanks to Terry, it was back.

 _Fuck this. I’m tired of it. I’m bored of it. I’m so over it._ He clicked his tongue in distaste as he stood up and followed her out. He stomped down the halls, shoulders hunched with his hands shoved as deep as they could be in his pockets. _I’m sick of it._ He grit his teeth, shoving passed people silently until he got back to class, kicking his chair out so he can sit. He had hoped for some peace, but an ear splitting shriek in the form of his name kept peace well away. _Now what! I don’t want to deal with them right now!_

            "Oh my god! Yami, what happened to your lip?!" Anzu shrieked

            "Like you fucking care," he scoffed at took his seat.

            “Of course we care, you’re our friend.” Kyouhei spoke next, the once voice of wisdom that he revered just as earsplitting as Anzu’s voice. Keeping his attention to the front of the room, he prayed to anything out there to make this all go away. His eyes darted to the classmates around him, no one making a move or even daring to make eye contact with him. They had abandoned him.

 _Ha, pathetic! What ‘friends’ they are! Only there when it’s convenient for them! When I need someone it’s as if they never in knew me!_ He clenched his jar even more, the soreness in his chest now a painful sharp sting. Hanging his head he kept his eyes shut to fight back the stinging sensation that followed a sudden flare of heat and then cold. _Fucking sick of this…._

            The teacher had walked in and tried to gain order, but seemed to not bother with Kyouhei or Anzu who pestered Atem. On and on they spoke, trying to coax something out of him. He had tried his best to block them out, pay attention to the lesson over the tumult in his world when he heard it. They had said her name. His ear perked a little.

            “It was the fucking bitch wasn’t it? I know it was! Who else could it be! That slut is not worth your time! You should just spend time with us again Yami, don’t worry about that skank anymore.” She rambled on and each curse had stoked something in his chest. A sudden something flared in his chest. It was nothing like the sharp pain or the air sucking wallop from before, no it was a burst from inside of him. Slamming his fist on the table, he tried to silence them. He needed them to stop. He needed someone to help, but who would? Glancing at Terry from the corner of his eye, he saw how she ignored him. His chest felt tight. There was no hope for him. He was all alone.

_Why the fuck do I even care? That’s how it always been, the hell is wrong with my body? Did she fucking get me sick or something? These bullshit feelings…I’m better off without them. She’s dangerous…I should keep this distance. I don’t like this new shit._

            A sudden clatter had the room grow silent and turn in its direction. Even the teacher had stopped. There Terry was standing as the two annoyances kept heckling him.

             “Leave him alone. He wants to pay attention to the lecture.”

 _What…why?_ Atem stared at her in awe. The constriction in his chest suddenly vanished and a sudden rush of something filled the cavity to the brim. An elation or relief of some kind. No, he was being stupid. Why would she come to his aide after what he had done?

            “Mind your own business bitch. We're having a conversation. You clearly aren't a part of this.” Kyouhei scoffed at her. Who did this girl think she was? Some hotshot like Kaiba? She probably did not even have any value to her name. _Getting Yami back would be a lot easier if you minded your own damn business._

            “And he doesn't want to be a part of it.” She walked over to him and Kyouhei stood up to block her path.

            “How the hell do you know anything about him? You’re the one that hurt him. You’re not someone he should be around.” Kyouhei growled as Atem tensed to try and avoid trouble but she sidestepped Kyouhei with ease and grabbed Atem's hand and books.

_Fucking pain in the ass bitch, you think you’re better than me? You can’t just ignore me!_

_Why are you doing this? Don’t you hate me?_ “Oi, what are you doing? You’re being a nuisance. Didn’t you get that I don’t like this shit you do?” He snapped as she yanked him out of his seat. Clearly not listening to his protest, she led him to her seat and placed his things down.

            “You shouldn't be bothered here.” She grinned at him before taking her things and heading back to his desk. Kyouhei growled audibly and elbowed her roughly in the back after knocking her books and things out of hand.

 _Who is better now? That’s right, you’re right where you belong. On the floor at my feet!_ He seamlessly made it look like an accident though, Anzu stepping on her hand before she gave a loud 'oops' as she pressed and rubbed into Terry's hand. Atem tensed at these actions, knowing the two well enough. It was far from an accident. She was pretty much begging them to target her.

_But why?_

            “Enough, Ms. Sharif outside now.” The teacher called out, knowing full well that Kyouhei and Anzu would hardly listen to him. Silently Terry picked up her things and placed them on Atem's desk before stepping out in to the hall where she was instructed to stand for the remainder of the class time. No sign of anger or resistance was seen on her face as she walked out. Instead, a small smile was rumored to have been seen by the class.

 _Why the fuck would you do that? I didn’t ask you to…not you._ For the rest of the class he began to diligently take notes to clear his mind. Though, every now and again he found himself staring out at her silhouette just out in the hall.


	32. Challenge Accepted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reprimanded and casted out of class, Terry has time to reflect on her recent misdemeanor...though, is she honestly remorseful?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, life hit hard but I am back.

Terry stood tall in the hallway, shoulders squared and back. There was an obvious air of accomplishment about her, like an athlete about to be awarded the gold after the long and arduous battle to the top. The passing students and faculty looked at the bewildering sight of her in the hall, each group coming up with their own story as to what led to this foreign student to be standing there today. No doubt that a particularly infamous tri-color haired punk had to be involved with this duo of trouble that always followed behind.

“Do I want to ask why you’re standing out here like you’ve just won some prestigious award for unsurmountable stupidity no doubt?” A familiar smug tone spoke up, Terry’s head turning up to see none other than the rich boy Seto Kaiba himself.

“I don’t think me being here is because of something stupid…I was just helping someone out.” She shrugged her shoulders as if it was the simplest conclusion. With her, he without a doubt, knew that was a very common conclusion.

“Right,” he scoffed as he rolled his eyes. “To think, there was another idiot out in the world.” He muttered more to himself. “Does self-preservation not mean anything to you?” He snapped, his cynical response a natural reaction to such blatant optimism and heroism. He waited for the argument back, a small count down ticking in his head for the inevitable self-defense triggered in her by his harsh reality check. _And zero._ He opened his eyes to look at her and found himself stunned. She just stood there with a simple smile but was far to dazzling that the sun suddenly seemed like a dim bulb that needed to be changed soon.

“Self-preservation is always important…but maybe because I’m just human, a human that is moved by what’s in front of her. I just can’t abandon what’s there, no matter how small or irrelevant or how inconsequential to the bigger scheme of things. I want to protect everything I can. I know that what’s irrelevant to others is relevant to someone else…so much so that it could be the very motivation for living.”

The words echoed in his mind, the image of his dear younger brother filling with ever word that is repeated within. A strange suffocating feeling began to fill his chest. _What was this? Do I…am I, **Seto Kaiba** , actually being swayed by such sophomoric idiocy?_ He wondered as he stared at her slightly wide eyed, a stretch of silence hung between them. “I can’t stand here any longer, you’re idiocy is probably contagious!” He snapped in irritation, walking in to the classroom as if nothing had transpired. If anything, to the rest of the class it was as if he had not seen her at all. However, his conscious was hardly cooperative at the moment as it replayed her words like a song stuck in his head. _More like an annoying broken record…yes, that is more like it. Nuisance is all it is. Reality is hardly so kind._ He steeled his mind as he took his seat, but noted that someone was a lot closer than usual in the seating arrangements. One of his brows quirked in curiosity, but he said nothing as he simply slipped in to class as if he had always been there.

At the end of class Terry was allowed back in once more, the teacher scolding her for cause her part of the small scene. She eagerly took the scolding, knowing full well the teacher was frustrated as everyone else that had to deal with such a mess. The constant agreement and acceptance from her baffled the teacher, but with a small concluding nod and final warning she was let back in and Jonouchi instantly came up to her along with their other friends.

“That was totally unfair to you! You weren’t doing anything bad at all!” Minako huffed, her cheeks puffed in anger for Terry.

“It wasn’t really fair, yes…but I get where the teacher was going with it. I mean, I doubt reprimanding has actually helped with those two from the looks of it…ever that is.” The thought of how disrespectful they were being with others did not sit well with Terry, in fact it made her want to confront them and have a hand and possibly straightening them out. _At the least I could get them to quit some of it._ She frowned to herself as she looked at Kyouhei and Anzu who glared back at her. Her stern gaze levelled with the both of theirs, a silent exchange that was an acceptance of the unspoken challenge. She was not about to bow to the likes of them so readily.

“Yo, earth to Terry!” Jonouchi’s voice came shouting in to her ear, the sudden loud sound causing her body to jump visibly in response. “Way to ignore me. Here I am, worried for your ass, and you’re just up and ignoring me? That really hurts.” He pouted, arms crossed over his chest.

“Sorry Jo-jo, I was just thinking about something important.” She quickly responded, admitting to not listening to a word that had come from anyone.

            “Oh? And what was that?” Honda inquired as he slipped his arm around her shoulders, however that was quickly removed followed by some cries of pain from the perpetrator. Jonouchi was clearly still very alert though upset.

            “My books…and if I should let Atem keep my seat for a while. Maybe I can ask him if he wanted to swap.”

            “Whoa, whoa, hold on! Time out! You want to not only let him sit in your seat today, but want to SWAP seats with him for the rest of the term?” Jonouchi repeated, clearly displeased by this thought from the way his brows knit together.

            “It’s just for a little while and it would keep those two pretty quiet too. I mean how much could they actually attempt to do? And if they do, I’ll just put a stop to it.” Terry argued her point.

            “You don’t get them at all! They will make you time in class a living hell! You can’t just sacrifice yourself for someone!” Ryuji frowned along with the others.

            “Guys, it will be ok. I promise. I’m strong, I’ve dealt with way worse I’m sure.” She laughed.

            “Yeah, but nothing quite like them.” The little back and forth between them and her went on for some time until it became painfully obvious that she had made up her mind. Minako sighed in resignation. “If you need anything, we’re right here for you ok?”

            “Yeah, literally seats away.” Honda added. “Don’t think we’re afraid of those to punks. We got your back.”

            “You better come to me at the first sight of trouble that is out of your league.” Jonouchi said firmly, Terry’s heart warmed by the love and care of her friends. Smiling, she agreed with all the insistence and promised to be safe and to signal them if she needed backup. They all smiled at her acceptance, though it was obvious they were very concerned for her wellbeing. Seto had watched the exchange much like everyone else, though less obvious than their classmates that stared at them like some unfolding drama.

            _She has to have lost her mind or some brain cells…probably from being underground or something when on those digs or those traps._ He thought as he rolled his eyes once more before he focused on his ‘light’ reading he brought with him. However his eyes stopped on the back of his friend that obviously had something to do with all this. He had no idea what had transpired, and normally he did not care. It had nothing to do with him, and yet here he was curious and could be…concerned? _Ha, hardly. Human curiosity, I clearly caught her idiocy in the short time with her in the hallway._ He brushed it off. He would ask the source later, for now the next teacher had stepped in and Terry took her seat at the only empty desk without an ounce of hesitation.


	33. The First Move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even after the big fight, Terry still stands up against the odds. Why would anyone ever do that and what can he do about it?

     The silence of the class was deafening to Atem. Oppressive even. _Way to be emasculated in front of everyone here. Then again…wasn't I looking for help? But from her of all people? Why did it have to her her?_ He kept his head down the entire time, pencil scratching against paper just like the rest of the students. However, from time to time, he found his azure eyes flickering to the silhouette of his heroine. _What good am I if I can't even stand up for myself._ He dropped his head once more and resumed his notes. This was not only a hit to his masculine pride, but a blow on top of the stupid stunt he pulled earlier on the roof. _Could time tick any slower?_ He had been thinking a lot lately…and not in the usual way. Nothing had been usual since the new girl- _you mean Terry_. The little in voice came to correct him once more.

     The opening of the door had most of the people looking, but he knew who it was. Usually around this time, if anyone would be coming in it would Seto Kaiba. Normally the sound of his seat moving would be much further than usual. However, sitting here had him closer to the source. It was awkward. This seat was awkward. All of this was awkward and wrong. What could he do though? _Great, now he's boring a hole in the back of my head. Fucking great._

     Finally, the bell rang and she was back in the room. He sprang from his seat at the sound, ready to run up to her and confront her. However, what would he do? _Yeah, what could a pansy ass like you do? You can't even stand up to your ex and ex-best friend who starting banging each other soon after you broke up is such a manly streak._ He gritted his teeth as her friends went running over. However, instead of listening to their conversation his eyes honed in on something, rather someone, Terry. He followed her gaze and his chest tightened. She was looking to them. _Why?_ This did not bode well. _Wait, is she? No way…no, abso-fucking-lutely not!_ He glared at the two she was looking at, his chest puffing in anger.

     "Atem?" That oh so familiar voice called out to him. He never thought it would call out his name again. He never thought he would be calm when being called by proper name. His head turned forward and there they were, those always observing and ever searching eye. How many times had he flinched and felt bare under that gaze?

 _Why are you always looking at me?_ Another thought crossed his mind, but he was not ready to face it. He heard his name once more. It sounded so nice. Thrice. _Didn't this use to bother me?_

     "Atem…hello?"

     "What?" He snapped, or he had intended to. Was that rasping his voice? No way. He intended to be angry, right? He shook his head and looked at her. "What?"

     "I asked if you wanted to change seats. I know it's only for a bit but I mean a change of scenery would be good for all of us I think. Try my spot out for the rest of the say ok?"

 _What? Wait, whoa._ There was no way she was asking this of him. This was like asking to go in to a battle unarmed while the other side had all sorts of resources at their disposal. He opened his mouth to speak up.

     "Whelp teacher is here, you sit through the rest of the day and at the end we can see how you feel. It's a good view of the board." He barely felt the pat on his shoulder as the world seemed to just whip around in his head. He really had no idea if he could even stand. Were his knees knocking?

 _She is fucking insane._ He fell back in to his seat, he could not breath. Was he breathing?

     "So, you're agreeing to the trial? Cool, just gonna grab my things. I'll bring your stuff over here for you." He heard a tapping on his desk and she was gone.

 _When did I agree? Oh wait, wasn't I standing a second ago? Shit, did she take that as a yes?_ He glanced at his current desk and there were his books and the others from before are gone. _She really thinks I said yes._ This did not bode well.


	34. Round One-Victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the first move the game has been set in to motion, who will win round one?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry about this late update, I had lost access to Microsoft Word and it was difficult to get the Google Doc on to the site via my cell phone.

    Terry strolled over to Atem’s desk without any hesitation, carefully setting her books onto it as she looked at the troublesome duo in the eyes. A scowl was pursed on Anzu’s glossy lips as a low snarl came from Kyohei.

 _Who the fuck does she think she is? Looking at us like that, bitch needs to learn her place._ If looks killed, Terry would be buried in a shallow and careless grave with her body unidentifiable. As she turned to take her seat, a devilish smirk tugged at the corner of Anzu’s lips. With a swift motion of switching her crossed legs she managed to yank the chair just enough out of place, sending Terry sprawling to the ground.

    Jonouchi tensed at the sudden sound, the giggles clue enough as to what caused the sound. A hand on his forearm kept him from moving. Atem had stopped him and he had no idea why.

    “What are you doing?” He hissed through grit teeth.

    “If you run in now you'll screw up everything she is trying to prove.” Atem whispered, his jaw visibly clenched as he forced his fingers to release Jonouchi’s arm. “We wouldn't be helping her by stepping in... especially for something minor….”

Terry carefully sat herself in her seat, unfazed by the childish trick.

    _Slow and steady wins this race... and my lack of fighting may help throw them off. I don't really have any idea what I'm gonna do... this isn't me fighting some tomb raider or something. I should wait and see. I should warn the others though...they'll probably be worried and I don't want them freaking out._

    Looking ahead at the board, she started taking her notes as the two troublemakers that had their sights set on her smirked with glee at their first score. This battle was theirs and so would be the rest of the war.

    _I knew it, she ain't so tough. Just throwing her weight around like she’s some hot shit. What kinda moron falls for a bullshit stunt like that?_ Kyohei scoffed and shook his head at the sight of her. _Dipshit bitch is going to learn her dann place, that's for fucking sure._

    He glanced over at Anzu, the two smirking at one another. This would be their easiest triumph. There was no way she would be able to even touch them, not when she failed at the first blow.

    With every minute that ticked by in class, there was an increasing amount of tension. No one dared to even breathe too loudly in fear that it may shatter the uncertain calm that filled the room. Kyohei and Anzu sat there, nose tilted to the sky with pride from the first victory.

 _She’s probably curled up with her tail between her legs._ He chuckled, turning to revel in the spoils of the win but was stunned by the steeled determination that greeted him. _Fucking bitch, she laughing at me?! **No one laughs at me!**_ He snarled as a slight crawling sensation slowly crept up along his spine. The feeling throws him off for a moment, but he quickly shrugged it aside. _The classroom must have a draft._ He reasoned to no one. His eyebrows knit together in rage at the obvious defiance against him. Her shoulders were squared and her head held high. _There’s no way she isn’t embarrassed by that stunt, does she have no humility? Freak, I’ll show her-_

    “Is there a problem?” The sudden voice almost scared him out of his skin. His thoughts interrupted, he sat up straight once more and scoffed at her, rolling his eyes as he turned back around.

    Anzu had been watching the exchange from behind, unable to see Terry she had to piece together through Kyohei’s reactions. _Bitch throwing attitude? Tch, that won’t last too long. Throw a tantrum all you like, you’re still going to cave._ She leaned back in to her seat, clicking her tongue in distaste. _We’ll show her the only way that’s allowed in this school…and that’s how **I** rule it._

    Kyohei blankly stared at the board ahead, the teacher rambling on as always. The only difference was the slow smirk that grew on his face. He had another challenge on his hands. _I never back down from a challenge…and I don’t lose. She won’t see it coming._ There was only one thought on the both of their minds, and that was the next possible steps to follow this win and to keep her down. The two were confident in that failure was not even something to be humored. No one ever lasted against them, they even managed to bend Atem to their whim. If that were possible, anything was possible for them.


	35. Back in the Spotlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Anzu and Kyohei made their move, what will Terry do? What about the class? Will there even be a room left in their wake? The spotlight is back on her and everyone is anxious to see her first play.

            The classroom was silent from then on, but the air in it was tense. Electrified with a sort of energy that had everyone on edge because of the chemical alteration due to the swapped seats. Atem was with Jonouchi and Terry practically standing in the path of a missile with a giant neon sign that was the size of a continent. There was no way she would be getting out of this one, but the class wondered if she really intended to. From her posture alone she was unfazed and she had called them out on her own. She had thrown the ball in their court. Some found this impeccably brave, others undeniably stupid. Seto had no idea where to place this anomaly of a person.

            _She really knows how to draw attention. When you least expect it, she pulls some crap that has everyone curious-great showmanship. She certainly has more balls than some of my security._ Seto flipped the page of his textbook out of formality, the remedial math lesson something he was forced to humor due to curriculum. When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, no one seemed to move. Rolling his eyes, he stood up from his seat and stepped out in to the hall with his phone hand. He would be a part of the senseless fear that the rest of the weaklings shrouded themselves in.

            Terry looked up at the sound of the door sliding open and shut with quick snaps, finishing the last of her notes. She had barely noticed that the teacher had stopped lecturing them. The distinct feeling of being watched started to creep up on her. A feeling she really had not felt since the beginning school. A few months in now, she had become part of the norm which led to less and less curious gazes.

            _I guess some people are that thrown by me sitting here…well I’m sure they’ll grow accustomed to it also._ She closed her notebook and glanced at the classroom. Everyone was looking at her. _Ok, maybe not just some._ She raised her hands up by the wrists, waving them with and smiled at the class. _You’d think I took an innocent person’s place for death or some sort of martyr thing._

            There is the sound of a chair scrapping the tiled floor suddenly, the back of it knocking into the desk behind it, echoes in the pin drop silent room. The sudden thwap for a notebook slapping the floor follows soon after and Anzu is leaned in to Terry’s face.

            “Can I help you?” Terry asked, her voice calm with a simple raised brow in otherwise unaffected expression on her face.

            “Yeah, quit being a nosy ass bitch or we will really fuck you up.” Anzu snapped as she reached to grab a hand full of hair to yank. The grab is intercepted and the smack is heard, Terry’s hand which was on her desk was now in the air in defense and the hand that was lunged at her thrown off course to the side.

            “The day that happens will be the day you learn some proper manners.” Terry looked her dead in the eyes as she spoke. “There’s no need for me to sit back idly and just let you bully someone who no longer wants to deal with you and your scumbag of a friend. If you have a problem with me sitting here, move. I’m not going anywhere.” The declaration caught the attention of everyone, the silence that followed shattered by the lone applause that starts up. Everyone turned to see Jonouchi clapping without fear. Soon Honda and then Minako who was quickly followed by Ryuji.

            “You heard her, move your seat if you got an issue. No one wants to deal with your crap anymore, the both of you!” Jonouchi shouted and the others voiced their agreements. Little by little more people started to join in. Anzu turned back to Terry, glaring daggers and the look she got back only fueled her anger. With a guttural sounding roar she rattled Terry’s desk and knocked it a little out of place before Kyohei grabbed arm.

            “Ignore her Anzu, let’s bail. She knows what she signed up for, bitch will regret it soon enough.” He growled, Anzu fixing herself a little as she regained her senses and left the room with Kyohei’s hand bluntly groping her rear. Terry looked straight to Atem only to find him looking at her instead of the two who made a spectacle as they walked out. She gave small thumbs up and he slouched forward in to his seat with a heavy sigh. She laughed in response and began to clean up the small mess that was made, thanking the neighboring classmates who helped her gather her things.

            For the rest of the school day, the two are not seen and peace is restored in the classroom with an underlying note of anxious energy. There was more to come, the students and faculty just did not know what and how to prepare. By the final bell, a level of normalcy was reached and as per usual Seto was gone in an instant with his usual gaggle of fangirls behind him.

            _How they can handle being ignored and rejected so consistently is beyond me. I don’t know if I’d have the patience for that ever._ Terry gathered her things and stood from her seat. “Shall we head to the train station Jojo?” She grinned looking up to find someone very different. Atem had beat Jonouchi to the desk and he did not look all too pleased at present. The questions and lectures were as clear as day on his face and she found herself for the first time confused and unsure. After the little fiasco at lunch, she really had not expected to speak to him at all let alone stand up to the two and take his seat. _Well…this is…awkward._ He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Jonouchi who slung his arm around Atem from behind across his shoulders and yanked back.

            “C’mon you two, the train is waiting and I really don’t wanna be here longer than I have to.” He wrinkled his nose and dragged Atem off with Terry not too far behind them. She was curious to know what he was going to say, but she part of her did not want to know. _Not yet anyway, if it was him trying to stop me it’s better that he was cut off. He may not like me…but I do consider him a friend._ Small pinpricks of sadness started to poke at her heart at the thought. She was quiet for the ride home, giving Jonouchi every chance to lead the conversation and catch up with Atem on various things. Terry barely registered them arriving at home let alone the words, looking up to see Jonouchi and her at the door and Atem nowhere in sight.

            “You ok Ter-bear? You were really quiet?”

            “Me? Yeah, just tired from the excitement of today.”

            “Yeah, sure. Excitement is what you call that.” He rolled his eyes and she nudged him. “What? You know I’m right! Seriously though, if you need help with them you aren’t alone. You at the least have me.” He smiled warmly at her and the pricks of sadness ebbed away at the smile.

            “Yeah, I know. Thanks, I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

            “The cavalry is never far,” he ruffled her hair as they shut the door behind them and greeted her father. The issue with Atem slid away from her thoughts for the rest of the evening, her father telling them of funny student stories during dinner and studying kept her mind busy enough that when her head hit the pillow the world had gone dark in an instant.


	36. Elderly Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is a guy to do when he's all knotted up over a girl? The age old dilemma has no answers, but maybe some insight from the elderly can help.

            Atem tossed his bag on to his bed after a quick shout of greetings when he ran in to the house. Yugi was off with Mokubah for the evening which let Atem have time to be with his friends, however it was far from peaceful.

 _Fuck right it wasn’t peaceful! That woman, I swear! What the hell is she thinking?_ He really did wonder if she thought at all as he crossed over to his bed and plopped on it next to his school bag.

            As if propelled by the sudden heavy sigh, he fell back on to his bed and his ceiling was in his line sight. His gut twisted and shifted inside of him as he thought over the new setup in the classroom. Why did he care was a question he had no clue. If it was any other person would he be so conflicted?

            _No, you wouldn’t so, why bother with that question?_ The little voice in his piped up. _You wouldn’t give a rat’s ass about anyone else in class, shit you’d be pleased with the funeral they signed up for!_ It went on and Atem knew this was true. He would have taken the gift without any hesitation. _And yet here you are, languishing over this like Romeo over Juliet or something…just infinitely stupider._ He really was trying to make excuses for something that he was too afraid to face. _Nope, not facing it right now. I fucked up on the roof and she went and did this bullshit cause she’s just…I don’t know, she’s just her._ He sighed once more and closed his eyes to try and clear his thoughts.

            “Atem?” A familiar gravely male voice beckoned for him as his room door creaked open.

            “Yeah gramps?” He sighed once more. _Didn’t she say something about sighing shortening my life? Who else would say something so weird to a stranger!_ He snorted a little as the mattress dipped a little next to him.

            “Are you alright? You seem…off.”

            “Yeah…just school stuff. It’s dumb.” He waved off.

            “Well, why not talk to your old man about it? Maybe it’ll help you out. You’ve been livelier than you have been in a long time…to see you slipping back, well let’s just say we like having you back in the family and if listening will help I can at least do that.” Sugoroku gently pat his grandson’s knee and waited for a moment. With no real reaction, his shoulders dropped a little. “Well, if you ever need me…I’m here for you. We all are.” He shook Atem’s knee lightly and carefully shifted his weight to get back up on his feet.

            “What do you do when you just don’t get someone?” The sudden question was blurted out and Sugoroku stopped and looked at his grandson. Atem was still on his back with an arm over his closed eyes.

            “What do you mean?” He sat back on the mattress, a small smile hidden by his mustache.

            “There’s this new kid in school…and since day one it’s just been one fucking annoying rollercoaster! Caring for strangers, talking back, and not even understanding basic shit like lunch and breaks in the class! I get it, home schooled or whatever but why would you be nice to someone who was an utter ass to you? Is this some sort of mind fuck?”

            “From the sounds of it, your new classmate is simply big hearted…what’s wrong with that?”

            “Without wanting anything back? Just constantly taking shit like it’s just supposed to be?” Atem turned to look at his grandfather as he propped himself up on his elbows.

            “Some people are just that, big hearted. Your grandmother was like that you know?” He chuckled softly at the memory of his dearly departed. “I used to say a burglar didn’t even have to bother sneaking in…waltz right in and ask, she would have gladly just given whatever is wanted.”

            “What did you do? How did you get her to stop that?”

            “Stop that? Not at all my boy! It was warm and inviting…it was everything I wanted that I didn’t even know. Being a muscle headed man, it was awkward and annoying at first, but slowly it just became something more. It was who she was and I never wanted her to change. At first, yes, I tried. I won’t paint myself as a saint, I did it all and failed every time. When I got tired of trying and failing, she was there with the same warmth and I saw it for the first time as warmth instead of trouble or a nuisance. Your new classmate has that warmth, you’ll come to see it on your own. When you do, you’ll finally be able to see why and what to do.”

            “That’s just more trouble!” He groaned loudly in detest, dropping his head back before plopping back on to hi mattress.

            “I thought the same thing, in due time you’ll see more than the face value. You just need to take the first step towards the warmth. Why not try trading shoes and walking a mile? I’m sure there is a lot you aren’t thinking about since you’re looking at it from your eyes.”

            _My eyes…huh…is that what I’m missing?_ He wondered. “I don’t know…sounds like more of a hassle than I would put in with anyone else.”

            “Isn’t the fact you’re up here thrown off more than enough to tell you that this person is more than just anyone else?” Sugoroku chuckled and pat Atem’s leg once more. “Don’t go rushing in, think about it and observe. Take it from my experience, you’ll wind up in more trouble with blind charging. Now, get changed and washed up. Your mother has dinner ready and we’re waiting for you.”

            “Yeah…thanks gramps.” Atem smiled, sitting up and helping his grandfather off the bed.

            “Anytime for my grandsons, anytime. There is wisdom in this old noggin!” He grinned.

            “Yeah, wisdom and perverted old geezer thoughts.” Atem scoffed.

            “Oh, look at that! Your mom is calling-coming! See you downstairs!” Sugoroku ran out of the room, Atem laughing at the scramble to avoid being caught. He certainly had a lot to think about though, his mind a little clearer thanks to his grandfather.

            _Who knew even that old geezer could get his head out of a porn mag long enough for good advice?_ He chuckled as he got to changing his clothes and washing up for dinner. He would give it more thought tomorrow.


	37. Round Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the first move done, they wait for Terry's rebuttal. What will she do?

            It has been a week since the desk swap and the classroom had finally begun to adjust to the change. However, the lingering tension was there. It lay just beneath the surface of the calm outwardly appearance. The calm before an impending storm, except this storm had no set date. The lack of knowing only kept everyone on their toes.

            At first, many had thought the switch was merely a spur of the moment event that would be corrected the next day. The next day came, and yet it was not the same. Terry sat in the desk with full confidence as if she had sat there since the beginning of the school year. She saw no reason why she was to go back on her word. Equally surprised were her two torturers. They had expected everything would be the same, possibly gloat about their victory and torment her through keeping it over head. Much to their unwanted surprise she was there in the morning.

            “She has to have some brain cells missing…she’s sitting there again!?” Anzu hissed to Kyohei as they awaited the arrival of their next teacher. They had come to the decision that in due time she would forget this blind stupid courage of hers and return to her own seat. A direct warning had done nothing, so they thought smoking her out would be a good second step. Their lack of anything would have her embarrassed for sure. Yet, here she was still. “Like what the fuck?” She scowled, sitting on Kyohei’s desk.

            “She’s got balls, more some guys I know.” He snorted in response. He had no idea if he was praising her or insulting, confused on whether he should respect her for her actions or label her as utterly stupid. He was certainly leaning to the latter more and more as the days passed and his irritation grew. There had to be something they had to do. _But what? Bitch is resilient. Does she have no shame? I mean we’re essentially making her look like a fucking fool for making such a scene._

            “Well us sitting and waiting isn’t doing shit. We need to act, now. She may just think she’s won.” Anzu pointed out, this though only just coming to mind for Kyohei. Had their waiting her out backfire on them?

            _That’s not possible!_ He shook his head at the thought. _Who would be **that stupid**?_ There was no way anyone would take their warning as a bluff. _And yet…we’re not dealing with just anyone…this bitch is a fucking dumbass and now she’s trying to make a fool of us?! Thinking she won? Fuck that! Think she’s some high and mighty shit cause she could handle that warning, fucking whore doesn’t know us!_ His bitter smile from moments before curled in to a frown that evolved in to a snarl of anger. Slamming his fist on his desk, he let out a small growl of anger as he glared at his prey. He was not going to let being made a fool of off easy. “And here I was just trying to nice…fuck that. Just wait bitch, just you fucking wait….”

            “Have any plans?” Anzu glared along with Kyohei, Terry absorbed in a book in some off language.

            “We must have worn her out a bit…I think we up our game to let her know that we’re not backing down. I’m sure you know how to keep it simple.” He turned to Anzu who wore an identical smirk to his. “Don’t get too antsy Anzu, we have here where we want her. She’s putting up a front.” He assured, sliding a hand over the outside of her thigh and under her skirt. A slow hum of a moan slips from her throat as her thighs slid open for him.

            “As much as I rather just squash the insect off the bat…I suppose some fun is in order.” She hummed in agreement and hopped of his desk to properly face before sealing his lips in a heated and lusty kiss. “How about we ditch this class and have some fun?” She purred as she pressed her hand against his crotch.

            “Shit, now you’re talking about something worthwhile.” He smirked, standing from his seat. As the two head out, Anzu grabbed her hoodie from her desk and purposely whipped it so that the zipper hit Terry and dragged some of her papers on to the floor. With a small insincere ‘woops’ she sneered at Terry before they left with her all over Kyohei with his hand under her skirt flashing her thong as he groped her. They pointedly looked to Atem as they passed, the door slid shut behind them. The hidden tension was now simmering and ready to boil.

 


	38. Cleaning Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anzu has struck and Terry is left to clean up a mess. What will she do now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay, I was busy studying for exams. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter. Thank you for continuous support.

            Terry had been engrossed in some work until the sharp sting and throb of something against her cheek. To no surprise she found her gaze on an unapologetic Anzu and snickering Kyohei. A few choice words bubbled up in her mind, begging to be let loose from her lips. Not wanting to react too much she physically bit down on her tongue as she picked up her dropped papers.

            _Not surprised they haven’t given up yet._ She sighed to herself. _I was hopeful though…._ She frowned to herself when her hand touched something warm and soft. _A hand?_ “Oh, thanks! You don’t have to help me.” She grinned, her eyes quickly tracing up the arm to find someone she had not expected at all. “It’s not a lot, just a few sheets.” She looked back to the scattered pieces.

            “Just shut up and accept it.” The voice snapped, her head turning back up to look at him in surprise. “You…you’re really fucking stupid you know that?” Atem muttered as he resumed picking up the papers. Weren’t you the one all ‘not needing a reason to help people’ and ‘shove your nose in everyone’s business’ sorta crap? Just…just shut it and accept it.” She looked to his outstretched hand with the remaining papers, his head turned away. A subtle tint of pink dusted the tops of his cheeks though his lips were turned down in an oddly cute mix of a scowl, pout, and frown. Was he blushing? Oh yes he was and she bit her lower lip to hide her smile that threatened to grow more than need be at the adorable sight.

_The fuck I don’t need to help! You do all this shit for me, the least I can do is pick up some lousy sheets of paper!_

            “It isn’t that…I just didn’t want you getting dirty from sitting on the floor.” She shook her head lightly, placing her hand on his that held her papers. “Thank you,” she sincerely smiled at him before taking the papers.

            “Y-yeah, well, whatever! A little dirt never killed anyone anyway.” He cleared his throat as he stood up and grabbed her up on to her feet by her elbow. “And what do you mean dirty?! I was on duty to make sure this place was clean! Are you saying I didn’t do a good job?” He suddenly glared at her. The sudden shift caught her off guard but it was welcomed by her. The fact he was being so normal with her was a relief. Like a sudden weight lifted from her chest, she stood a little taller with a smile on her face. “Oh, you’re laughing me, are you?! I’ll show you! Laughing at me! I did a damn good job, the best!” He fumed as he pinched her cheeks, stretching and squishing them. “Bet you won’t be smiling now!” He smirked. “Teach this bad mouth a lesson!” He mumbled, staring at her lips that were still smiling.

            “Wa badn mouw?! I dindn’nt dew any-heng!” She tried to speak out, unable to free her face from her grasp as she tried to push him off. Unable to, she managed to push herself off him and release her face from the prison. “What was that for?” She laughed, rubbing her cheeks. “I didn’t say anything about your cleaning talent…ow.” She pouted a little. _I was just hit by her zipper too…. I wonder…does this mean we’re friends again though?_ She wondered as she cradled her red cheeks in her hands until one was ripped away and she found herself being pulled out of class and down the hall.

            “H-hey, where are we going? Class will be starting soon.” She pulled back against his hold on her wrist to slow down his pace.

            “Where do you think I’m taking you?!” He suddenly turned to look at her. “Your cheek got hit didn’t? By her zipper.” With that said, he abruptly turned once more as Terry was left in a slight stunned silence. “Now shut it and just let me help you.”

            _So, he saw that? Is it wrong to be hopeful that we’re going to be friends again?_ She glanced down to her wrist, his hand now held hers. It was a little calloused, but big and warm. She gave his hand a small squeeze as she let him lead her. Something inside told her that he might prefer she was not able to look at him and so she respected the notion. The slight squeeze back only proved her decision right as he led the way to the nurse’s office. _Here? But I’m not sick or anything…maybe it scraped my skin a bit? It does sting._

            “She needs to be checked, she got hit in the face with something.” Atem shouted as he sat Terry on to the stool. The nurse turned to look at the two of them.

            “I do hope this isn’t some trend of yours.” She teased the two, Atem blushing a little as Terry smiled it off.

            “No, just a small accident this time.” Terry pointed to the injured cheek.

            “That’s good, I would hate to see you here so often.” She laughed off, quickly bandaging the scrape and handing her a small ice pack. “This will help. I don’t know what happened but your cheeks are really red.” She frowned. “Just keep it wrapped in the towel. Return it here before you head home for the day alright?”

            “Yeah…it was unexpected.” Terry nervously laughed off. “Thank you.” They headed back to class, silence wrapped around them once more. She glanced down at her ice pack before she looked to him. “Thanks again. I didn’t think to go to the nurse for this.”

            “You don’t think, that’s why!” Atem scowled in response. “Plus…I only made it worse with all my playing with your cheeks.”

            “Playing? You said that was punishment!” She reminded him.

            “No talking back! Put that ice on your cheek! I can call it whatever I want!” He huffed as he grabbed the pack and pressed it to her cheek. Though his motions were jerky and rushed, he held it gently against her face as he stepped in front of her. Terry looked up at him, confused as to why he stopped them. “Hey,” he whispered softly to her and knocked his forehead to hers. “Be more careful…I, I don’t like you getting hurt…only person who can hurt you is me, got it?”

            _Hurt me? Why would he want to hurt me?!_ She found herself alarmed by his sudden hushed and almost meek behavior. _It’s not like I meant to get hurt too!_ She argued, however the words never came out as they played in her head. “Okay, I’ll be more careful.” She whispered back. “Sorry to worry you.”

            “You should be sorry,” he sighed. The warm air of his breath blowing against her nose. She smiled a little at his concern.

            “Yeah? I’ll keep that in mind.” She nodded her head.

            “Good,” he mumbled back and for a moment she thought she saw a soft smile on his lips. A rare sight that only ever graced his face when with Yugi. Before it could be registered though, he was back to his usual self. “Oi, I’m not your slave! Hold you own ice pack!” He grumbled and placed her hand where his was. “Hurry up, we have to get to class!” He barked the order but she knew he meant well. She smiled at his retreating back.

            “So, are we friends again?” She finally spoke up.

            “What?” He turned to look at her. A strange dread started to fill her when he turned, not expecting him to hear her. Her heart started to beat a little faster as she swallowed the anxious feeling that started to swell inside her.

            “Does this mean we’re friends again?” She asked again. There was no need for her to hide and there was only one way to find out. She never was the type to just wait for an answer to fall from the sky, she took the lead.


	39. To Be or Not To Be Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atem watches as Terry is bullied once more and decides that it's high time for him to start giving back. He had resigned himself to just another person she helps, but now she wants to try again? What will he say?

Atem watched as Anzu hit Terry, his hands balled in to fists unconsciously as the two walked out of the classroom, his glare set on them every step of the way. His chest hurt, but not in the usual way when he saw his former girlfriend and friend parading their escapade about. No, there was a sharp sting to his chest and a flash of heat. As soon as the door snapped shut he was on his feet.

Terry was crouched on the floor gathering the fallen sheets, the sight of her on the floor like that caused something to stir in his chest. A sick sinking feeling settled in his gut. The girl who went out of her way to help him and everyone else in class was alone on the floor. No one had come to her aid. He suddenly remembered his grandfather’s advice.

 _The fuck, why do you help when we don’t do anything for you?! Are you some kind of idiot? You must be missing some part of your brain._ He thought as he knelt and started to help her. If no one else was going to, then he would. _You just want to apologize for being an ass to her and you know it._ The little voice in his head sneered as her hand touched his, silencing the voice before it could berate him more.

             “Oh, thanks! You don’t have to help me.” She grinned, her eyes quickly tracing up the arm to find someone she had not expected at all. “It’s not a lot, just a few sheets.” She looked back to the scattered pieces.

            “Just shut up and accept it.” He snapped, her head turning back up to look at him in surprise. “You…you’re really fucking stupid you know that?” Atem muttered as he resumed picking up the papers. Weren’t you the one all ‘not needing a reason to help people’ and ‘shove your nose in everyone’s business’ sorta crap? Just…just shut it and accept it.” He noted the stupid look of shock on her face as he handed her the stack of sheets he picked up. _The fuck you looking at me like that for!_  He turned his head away as he felt a brush begin to show. _Don’t look at me so cute like that…it’ll make me want to be mean to you even more._ He scowled at the though. _The fuck I don’t need to help! You do all this shit for me, the least I can do is pick up some lousy sheets of paper!_

            “It isn’t that…I just didn’t want you getting dirty from sitting on the floor.” She shook her head lightly, placing her hand on his that held her papers. “Thank you,” she sincerely smiled at him before taking the papers.

            “Y-yeah, well, whatever! A little dirt never killed anyone anyway.” He cleared his throat as he stood up and grabbed her up on to her feet by her elbow. “And what do you mean dirty?! I was on duty to make sure this place was clean! Are you saying I didn’t do a good job?” He suddenly glared at her, waiting for an answer. The sight of her smile made his chest feel warm and he had no idea what to do. The confusion only flared his annoyance. “Oh, you’re laughing me, are you?! I’ll show you! Laughing at me! I did a damn good job, the best!” He fumed as he pinched her cheeks, stretching and squishing them. “Bet you won’t be smiling now!” He smirked. “Teach this bad mouth a lesson!” He mumbled, staring at her lips that were still smiling. _I want to kiss them again…but if I do that she’ll only be hurt again._ He quickly dismissed the thought as he recalled the sting of her bite.

            “Wa badn mouw?! I dindn’nt dew any-heng!” She tried to speak out, unable to free her face from her grasp as she tried to push him off. Unable to, she managed to push herself off him and release her face from the prison. “What was that for?” She laughed, rubbing her cheeks. “I didn’t say anything about your cleaning talent…ow.” She pouted a little.

            He heard the small ‘ow’ and frowned to himself as he noted the spot that was hit by Anzu. The anger from started to bubble up once more. He caught his hand about to reach for her cheek once more, stopping himself and instead grabbed her elbow and marched out of class with her in tow.

            _Ugh, I can’t believe I forgot! Dammit, I can’t seem to keep myself in check with her! How the fuck does she get under my skin so much?!_ He thought to himself when he felt her tug back against his grip.

            “H-hey, where are we going? Class will be starting soon.”

            “Where do you think I’m taking you?!” He suddenly turned to look at her. She cannot be that clueless, right? “Your cheek got hit didn’t? By her zipper.” With that said, he abruptly turned once more as Terry was left in a slight stunned silence. “Now shut it and just let me help you.”

            He turned back around when she settled down, releasing her elbow to hold on to her hand instead. It was smaller than his, but not as soft and dainty as other girls’ hands. They were well used and he could only imagine how much they were injured during her antics. The thought of her in those death defying tales made his head spin with worry.

            _She’s going to bring me to an early grave!_ He sighed as he opened the door to the nurse’s offce.

            “She needs to be checked, she got hit in the face with something.” Atem shouted as he sat Terry on to the stool. The nurse turned to look at the two of them.

            “I do hope this isn’t some trend of yours.” She teased the two, Atem blushing a little as Terry smiled it off.

            _T-t-trend?! The hell are you getting at stupid teacher! You should just shut up and do you job! She’s injured!_ Atem shout at the nurse in his head.

            “No, just a small accident this time.” Terry pointed to the injured cheek.

            “That’s good, I would hate to see you here so often.” She laughed off, quickly bandaging the scrape and handing her a small ice pack. “This will help. I don’t know what happened but your cheeks are really red.” She frowned. “Just keep it wrapped in the towel. Return it here before you head home for the day alright?”

            “Yeah…it was unexpected.” Terry nervously laughed off. “Thank you.” They headed back to class, silence wrapped around them once more. She glanced down at her ice pack before she looked to him. “Thanks again. I didn’t think to go to the nurse for this.”

            “You don’t think, that’s why!” Atem scowled in response. “Plus…I only made it worse with all my playing with your cheeks.” _I really shouldn’t have done that…._

            “Playing? You said that was punishment!” She reminded him.

            “No talking back! Put that ice on your cheek! I can call it whatever I want!” He huffed as he grabbed the pack and pressed it to her cheek. Though his motions were jerky and rushed, he held it gently against her face as he stepped in front of her. “Hey,” he whispered softly to her and knocked his forehead to hers. “Be more careful…I, I don’t like you getting hurt…only person who can hurt you is me, got it?” _Don’t let anyone near you that isn’t me…I don’t want to lose you…not to them of all people._

             “Okay, I’ll be more careful.” She whispered back. “Sorry to worry you.”

            “You should be sorry,” he sighed. The warm air of his breath blowing against her nose. She smiled a little at his concern.

            “Yeah? I’ll keep that in mind.” She nodded her head.

            “Good,” he mumbled back and for a moment she thought she saw a soft smile on his lips. “Oi, I’m not your slave! Hold you own ice pack!” He grumbled and placed her hand where his was. “Hurry up, we have to get to class!” He barked at her as he started to walk ahead of her once again.

            “So, are we friends again?” She finally spoke up.

            “What?” He turned to look at her.

            “Does this mean we’re friends again?” She asked again. Atem stared at her in shock, surprised that she would still want to be friends with him of all people again. He was not about to complain though, he wanted to keep her all to himself.

            _You…you really don’t realize how much of a run around you take me on do you!?_ He chuckled as he walked back to her. “You want to be friends again? Who ever said we weren’t? Arrogant much?” He tapped her forehead lightly with a finger. “You know if you keep being friends with me…I’ll only want more…are you willing to take responsibility for that?” He whispered in her ear, watching and waiting for her answer. He is surprised to see the blush that quickly grew on her cheeks.

            “I-I-I don’t know what that exactly entails…but I’ll take full responsibility.” He chuckled at her sudden response, able to tell she was honest.

            “Well then, I’m in your care.” He smirked, biting at her nose playfully. _You’re way too easy to tease…I don’t want anyone else to see you this way._ He chuckled again as she covered her nose, a scowl on her lips.

            “S-So, friends again?”

            “We never weren’t friends…we just had a small fight idiot. You’re not getting rid of me that easy…but to put you at ease, yes friends again. Now, let’s get to class.” He patted her head lightly before turning to walk ahead. She had the most dazzling smile and it made his chest squeeze in sweet pain, like an arrow straight through his heart and filling it with something warm. _She really is trying to kill me!_


	40. Change of Pace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With her vow to take responsibility, what will Atem do to test Terry?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: A reader brought to my attention that one chapter was posted twice as two separate chapters, so I deleted the duplicate. It doesn’t change the story in anyway, but I will do my best to make up for the little mishap. Thank you for your understanding and continued commitment to my story.

The two made it just in time for the next class, the teacher a step behind them. Jonouchi glanced over to Terry, hoping to catch her eye. When he finally does, he gave her a questioning glance with a small tilt of his head as he pointed to her cheek where she held the ice pack. She shook her head in response and waved dismissively to him as she pointed to the bandage beneath it. He frowned at the sight of it but left it be since there was nothing he could do.

 _She’s obviously been through worse._ He assured himself and turned to Atem who was no next to him. “Thanks, for helping her out. I fell asleep in class and missed a bunch of shit it seems. Hiroto brought me up to speed on everything. Damn those two yo! Like, what sort of bullshit is this?”

“Bullshit doesn’t even cover the crap.” Atem scowled as he slouched in his seat. “You don’t have to thank me though, I helped her cause I wanted to...she does enough of it for me that I may as well do this little bit for her in return ya know?”

"Yeah, she's a handful alright." Jonouchi snickered in agreement. "Every visit she just got worse. I didn't think it'd be contagious though." He nudged Atem.

"Fuck you, I'm just evening out the score here!" He scowled as he nudged back. _The fuck you talking about contagious! I'm not going off running in to someone else's life and just handling shit blindly!_ He glanced over at Terry who held the cold pack to her cheek as she diligently took notes. It probably would have been an admirable scene had it not been for the silent panic of the condensation drops wetting her paper.

Atem silently laughed to himself as he started to take notes as well. The old habit of being a diligent student reawakened in him from his note taking he did for Terry while she was sick. Now it felt odd to not do it, though there were moments where he was not in class at all. Since her arrival though, those incidents had become far and few in between.

 _She's changing you, whipping you in to the good little student. Now you're just like everyone else...scrambling for a dead-end pencil pushing career and not really caring what happens to the others. You've always wanted to fit in, now you found your excuse._ The voice in his head sneered at him. _Oh what, trying to ignore me?_ If only Atem could. _It's never gonna happen and you know that. You're stuck with me._ It cackled.

There had to be some way to get the voice in his head to shut up, but he had yet to find any cure to it. _Not like it's wrong though...I'm just gonna end up in a cubicle sometime in the future. Dad would've been disappointed...._ He softly sighed to himself. _That's right, why bother when you're just a disappointment? The hospital didn't want to tell you the truth of your father dying from disappointment at the sight of you. He knew you were a born failure._ Atem grit his teeth as he resumed taking his notes, ignoring the self-hatred that had been growing in him since that day.

The school day could not be over faster. The bell rang and he sprang to his feet to gather his books. He needed out fast, but stopped and turned to see Jonouchi head over to Terry. The thought of them so closed together sat uneasy with him. He knew there was nothing between them, but she was with another guy and his mind quickly turned back to Anzu.

 _Quit it, she's not like that you know it! She's different in every fucking way possible outside of being a woman!_ He reminded himself as he walked over to the two. _She's just like a cat._ He mused to himself as she peered up at him with her ever-watchful eyes. "Well little kitten, shall we get you home safe?" He chuckled.

"Kitten, me?" She looked up at him surprised, the small scowl making him chuckle.

"Yes, you. You're exactly like a wild kitten who wants to do what all the big cats do." He clarified for her. The look of disapproval only made him laugh more as he pulled her closer and leaned in to her ear. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you never stray too far." He purred and nipped at his ear. He turned to Jonouchi who looked at the two utterly perplexed as Terry jumped back a step and scowled at Atem.

"Did I hit my head somewhere or did I miss something?"

"Not at all," Atem smirked and looked to Terry. "Do you want me to help you pack?"

"No, I'm good thank you very much!" She stuck her tongue out at him as she quickly packed her bag and walked out of the classroom with them. The change of pace was refreshing for him and he would simply keep at it.

 _Remember, you said you’d take responsibility no matter what that entails._ He smiles to himself at the small ‘promise’ she had made to take responsibility. _Knowing her, she’ll take that with the utmost seriousness and I can finally get her flustered all over again. At least she’s talking to me again…I really thought I screwed up big time. I was worried…shape up Atem! You can’t do that again._ He had yet to properly place a title to the feelings that welled inside him when it came to her, the whirlwind of life always hitting him since the very first day they met when she crashed into him in the hallway. _I’ll take my time figuring it out though…without losing this…her._


	41. Welcoming Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group finally gets some down time to welcome the newest member of the crew, but what of the secretly budding romance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I'm sorry about this delayed addition. My elder broth just had complete right hip surgery alongside the end of my semester. I've been a little too busy to update, but I have been thinking about all of you and the stories. Thank you for your understanding and continued commitment to my story. 

 

     The shift in dynamic had the class on edge once more as Atem made his way to class more and more. The teachers were shocked by this behavior still, even more so when he actually started to participate and answer questions asked of him. The joy of such change was infectious for the most part, however there still were the few that found this to be a farce and wished ill for him. His presence alone was a glaring black mark on the face of their school that kept potential and better students from enrolling. He was the black sheep that reduced the value of the school. Even with the skeptical faculty, no one was more enraged and hateful of this change than Anzu and Kyohei. The boy they made in to a man was now acting on his own accord and it was all because of that one bad influence: Terry. 

     "Who does this bitch think she is? Walking in and talking over what is clearly ours!?" Anzu hissed as she seethed with anger.   
 

     "Don't worry too much Anzu...the bigger they are the harder they fall. She's making a big name for herself, we'll just have the greater satisfaction when she finally comes crumbling down." Kyohei smirked outwardly, masking the irritation that slowly began to bubble inside him. "We'll find her weakness, find it and crush her with it."   
 

     "Bitch better have a pretty damn good weakness," she gnawed at her thumb in frustration as Kyohei lit a cigarette.   
 

     "I'm sure we're just overlooking it. Relax Anzu, come back to bed and forget about that shit. It's killing the fucking mood." He blew out a stream of smoke into the air as he laid back on his bed. The words seemed to be the perfect spell, a sultry smile curled on her lips as she climbed over his and stole the cigarette.   
 

     "Do tell about this mood," she purred as she killed the smoke in the ashtray. "Do tell." 

   
 

     Terry sneezed suddenly as a bit of wind tickled at her nose. Minako turned to her concerned since the last time her friend had fallen in ill she was out for quite some time but was met with a reassuring smile. After a small scolding glare, she relented and leaned against her friend. The group of friends had decided to meet up on the weekend to adjust to the new member as well as give a small welcoming party that was long since overdue for Terry. With all the action that kicked up around her, they never had the chance. Now that it was all settled they came to Minako's house for the small party with delicious home cooked food and privacy from her parents. 

     Currently the boys were all absorbed in some silly card game, apparently it was all the rage now. What was amusing to Terry was that she had seen all these monsters in Egypt on expeditions with her father. There were wall paintings and ginormous slab carvings of the creatures all over a specific palace, the supposed tale of the city quite sad actually but she kept it to herself for now.   
 

     "No matter the age, boy will always be boys." Minako sighed as she leaned back and took a sip of her iced tea.   
 

     "That's what makes them boys though." Terry laughed. "You seem particularly cross, though I can't blame you when you got all dolled up for him but not a single iota of attention has come your way." She frowned at the fact as she turned to look at the one that had caught Minako's fancy for some time.   
 

     "It was a waste of time," she whispered in such a sad tone it struck Terry with a pang of pain.   
 

     "No, that wasn't what I meant!" She quickly corrected. "That wasn't what I meant at all. We just need to, to, to get him to notice! That's it! We need him and you to gets time alone." She quickly pieced the plan together as the boys cheered and groaned as the 'battle' raged on between two of them. The sounds hardly bothered her as she scanned the room for a clue.  _There_ ** _has_** _to be something here that can help! But what though?! Something that'll pull him away from the boys and give him time to concentrate on Mina...oh! I know!_  She snapped her fingers at the brilliant idea that came to mind. "Ah, that's it! Why not grab some dessert with him? Bring some ice cream back or something from the convenience store. One that has a specific brand perhaps so that it gives you more time?" She offered.   
 

      _Grab ice cream? With him?! Alone!? I couldn't-but how else am I going to get him to notice me?_  She thought over the plan, a sudden wave of butterflies in her stomach as she chewed at her lower lip. "How would I even pull that off?" She whispered as she turned her cup in her hands, cheeks a soft pink as thoughts flitted through her mind.   
 

     "Leave that to me." Terry broadly grinned and gave a small thumbs up before setting her cup down and getting up on to her feet. The sudden motion caught the eyes of Ryuji and Honda who had been watching Atem and Jonouchi card battle it out.   
 

     "What's up Terry?" Hiroto asked, Atem and Jonouchi turning at the name.   
 

     "Oh nothing, I was just thinking...it's pretty warm today. Some ice cream would be good. I was going to go grab some from the store with Mina. She didn't want to intrude on your game so I said I'd go with here." She shrugged as she casually explained the situation. "Do you guys want anything?"   
 

     "Us? We can just go with you." Jonouchi frowned at this.   
 

     "You always end up in some kinda trouble...you'll just be dragging her along in like you did us." Atem bluntly stated as he motioned to himself and Jonouchi.   
 

     "That is a fair point...you both would end up running from something...always the running." He shook his head as Atem nodded in agreement.   
 

     "Hey, i don't  **go looking** for trouble, trouble  **finds me**!" She puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms in slight anger at the accusation. "Plus, running his good for the heart."   
 

     "It is, without the threat of some band of gang members hellbent on pummeling you into the ground." Atem rolled his eyes. "You aren't going alone, I'll come with you."   
 

     "You don't have to cut your game!" Minako quickly chimed i as Atem set his hand down. "It's fine, really...I can just get some real quick on my own."   
 

     "No, you shouldn't go alone...hey, Ryuji why don't you go with her?" Terry turned to the ebony haired male who seem a bit surprised to be pointed out as he pointed to himself. "Yes, you. If you don't mind. I'd go but these two want to play armored guard with me and assume I'm gonna get Mina in a shit ton of trouble." She grumbled at the two who were not about to back down from their decision.   
 

     "Sure, I'll go. Honda is versing the winner next round anyway." He chuckled in agreement and stood up. Minako was quickly up in a moment, dusting off her skirt a bit and fussing with her hair to settle her nerves. "Shall we?" He suavely offered his arm to her and she bashfully took it with a meek nod. Terry grinned all the while as the two slipped on their shoes and left. Atem knew that look on her face all to well. It was that proud grin of hers, as if she had earned some sort of victory that was probably something so minuscule it was hardly even something to be so proud of. 

      _Do I even want to know_ ** _why_** _she has that stupid grin on her face? Is it really all that worth it? It's a cute look on her face though...and I could probably use the information to tease her too._ "What did you do?" He finally asked, his curiosity fueled by his want to win some more leverage over her.   
 

     "Hmm? Me? Oh, nothing...just helped Minako out in getting some alone time with Ryuji." She puffed her chest out.   
 

     "What, Mina and Ryu?! No way...really?!" Honda gaped a bit at this. "He doesn't have a damned clue! I noticed she was dressed a little more cute than usual, I thought it was just for this party though." He shrugged it off.   
 

     " **That**  dressed for a party she stressed as casual?" Terry raised a brow. "You can't be serious." She shook her head at him while Atem stifled a laugh.   
 

      _Like you're one to talk! Your dumbass didn't even get that I liked you even after I blatantly kissed you! You still don't get it!_  He chuckled to himself, not sure if it was from sheer entertainment of her inability to see for herself or at himself for liking someone as blind as her.  _For a girl who's all about reading the signs...you're really bad at it when it comes to yourself._  He picked up his hand of cards once more and turned to Jonouchi. "Have fun playing matchmaker."   
 

     "I will, thank you very much!" She came over to his side and plopped down on to a cushion. She glanced over the cards that were down on the playing mat. "Oh, Black Magician!" She pointed to the sideways card. "Red Eyes Darkness Dragon," she pointed to the other card that was played on the field.   
 

     "You know the game?" The guys looked up at her as she was able to recite the names without even properly looking at the text.   
 

     "In a way," she snickered. "I know the origin of the game, well a supposed origin since it deals with a lot of ancient black magic and sacrifice." She clarified. "It's from Egypt."   
 

     "This game, no way!" Jonouchi scrunched his nose. "How would this simple card game stem from all the way over there?!"   
 

     "It does actually, Marik told me more in depth about it." She explained.   
 

     "Oh man, I can't keep up with all your crazy tales!" Honda laughed as he fell back on to his back. "Maybe another time, I'm still reeling from the last one."   
 

     "Haha, I won't bog you down with all the details right now." She snickered, leaning on to Atem a bit as she looked over the cards in his hand. He visibly tensed a bit at this, but only enough so that it was not detectable by her. He had become a master at disguising his surprise from her, though his cheeks started to turn red at the sudden contact. It was easily noticed by the other guys in the room who had identical sly grins as Terry looked over the cards. He glared at them to cut it out as they mimicked kissing faces and fluttering eyes.   
 

      _You two better cut it out soon or she's going to see you! She'll definitely catch on then and I'm in no standing to even ask for a chance after the shit I pulled!_  He pointedly glared and jerked his head in her direction. This action was poorly calculated decision as his head came full force crashing in to hers and soon the two were hissed in pain.  _Well aren't you the_ _ever-_ _loving_ _genius. Way to screw yourself over dipshit!_  The voice in his head sneered as usual as he tried to gather some words to explain why he had suddenly it her like that. Their pain was easily cut by the sudden laughter of the other two and he glared once more.   
 

     "Wow, is that how you rub your good luck charm?" Jonouchi teased him.   
 

     "Hardly, I need to headbutt her for it to be effective." He sneered back, though he is grateful for the cover.   
 

     "Eeesh, doesn't sound like I'd ever be able to that." Honda snickered as Terry scowled at the trio.   
 

     "You could just pat may head instead or something! Jeez, you have a thick skull!" She huffed. "I bet you're just trying to make me dumb so I'm stuck with you." 

     "Maybe I'm just training you to keep you nearby," he nudged her lightly and she stuck her tongue out at him in response. "Yeah, yeah, it was an accident calm down. I wouldn't waste what brain cells you have left." The last comment earned him a rough shove but he did not mind as the boys erupted in to laughter as Terry proceeded to whack Atem with a pillow in revenge.  He grabbed a cushion to guard himself which had her swing rebound and whack Honda who grabbed a pillow and accidentally whacked Jonouchi. The group froze and stared at one another. Ryuji and Minako returned around not too long after the stand still, much closer than before but their bonding was broken at the scene of a pillow fight and the two of them victim to two random pillows. Soon the both of them joined the fray and the night was spent in fluffy whacks, laughter, and frozen sweets. 

 


	42. New Lunch Plans

            Terry sat in the library at school her gaze glued to the books in the shelf before her It had been this way for quite a few days now, ever since that fateful lunch. They were sitting alone as per usual, their usual banter interrupted by some very unexpected visitors: Jonouchi, Minako, Ryuji, and Honda.

            “Oh, hey guys…what are you doing here?” Terry looked up at the four that stood over them.

            “Hey, can we join you guys for lunch?” Minako asked, her hand tightly clasped in Ryuji’s. The two had become quite close since the party a few weeks back. Not that it mattered to Atem. Terry was more than thrilled by this development. He frowned at first, expecting her to answer but noticed she was staring at him.

            _Ah dammit, now I’m gonna have to share this time I get with her? Fucking beautiful…_. “I, sure, why not?” He sat up and leaned back against the fence that blocked the ledge.

            “Really? Thanks man!” Jonouchi grinned as he plopped down. The others followed him and soon enough they were all. All sorts of topics flew between them, but one subject had grabbed Terry’s attention. She had no idea there was a library in the school. That fateful lunch had changed lunch for Atem in more ways than he was happy to admit. She had stopped showing up and he was left with the others. Not that he disliked their company, it was not her though.

            Kyohei and Anzu had also caught wind of the change it seemed and they had relaxed on their plans a bit. They took it as a sign that she no longer found interest in Atem or they had scared her away finally. Either way, it was a move in the right direction for them, now Atem was all theirs. Or so they thought.

            Atem was fed up. Fed up with her lack of coming to lunch. Her lack of being free after school. Her lack of anything having to do with spending time with one another.

            _Fucking Minako had to just open her big fat mouth. ‘Oh, I’ll so you the library!’_ He thought in a shrilly terrible impression of her voice. _‘It’s really big and cool and stupid enough to make you forget about everyone else!_ ’ He grumbled as he tossed his lunch wrappings and made his way down to her new lunchroom. _Maybe she just doesn’t want to spend time with an idiot ass like yourself? Ever think that genius? I know you didn’t!_ The voice in his head cackled but he ignored it. He was not about to get distracted by anyone.

            Snapping the door open he glared at the room, the current occupants surprised by his appearance. He paid them no heed as girls fumbled out of his way and guys tripped over themselves to dive in to nearby aisles. He rolled his eyes at the dramatics. _I’m not here for you fucking idiots. Ah, there she is!_ He spotted that familiar ponytail of hair anywhere, the makeshift uniform only made her standout more. She was on her tiptoes trying to reach a book on shelf that was just a bit too high. A smirk curled on his lips as he walked up behind her.

            _So strong…yet so defenseless._ He shook his head as he grabbed the book. “Is this the book you want?”

            “Huh?! Oh, Atem! Yes, thank you!” She flashed him a dazzling smile as she reached for the book.

            _Oh, you aren’t going to get away that easy! Cute smile or not!_ He steeled himself as he pulled it just out of reach. “Not so fast,” he leaned down towards her a bit. “If you want it…then woof for me.” He purred the words as Terry just stared at him. He could see her mind working, debating on whether she should woof or not. _Oh, you must be shitting me! No wait, nope, this is her! I knew this would happen! She better only debates like this for me though!_ He patiently waited but quickly moved away from the scolding whack that was meant for him by her. Her smile was gone and her eyes were narrowed with discontent. “Now, now, is that nice? Hitting someone who kindly got this book down for you?”

            “No, but you’re not someone who simply got it down for me! You’re asking me to do something stupid to give it! That kicks ‘kindly’ out the window!” She puffed her cheeks.

            _Says the girl who abandoned me for dead trees._ He frowned, book still in hand. “I don’t see the lack of kindly at all, I still got the boo down and deserve a reward.”

            “Can you two take this lover’s spat elsewhere? It’s sickening.”

            “Oh, Seto! Sorry about that. Can you get him to give the book? He won’t give it without a stupid request.” She stuck her tongue out at Atem.

            “Don’t expect him to help without wanting something in return.” Atem rolled his eyes at her idea to ask him of all people.

            “I know you’re going to stop making those sudden stupid remarks while having no consideration for other’s people train of thought…even more than you’ve already been.” Seto barely even glanced at the two. “Just kiss him, that’ll get you the book.”

            _Just what?! Are you-what?!_  Atem jumped at the sudden suggestion. _She’s susceptible to do stupid shit like that! Don’t go saying-oh you ass…!_ He frantically tried to get Seto to change his words until he saw that stupid smirk. He was being played by the rich boy.

            “Kiss him…for the book?” Terry frowned at the notion.

            “Well…how about you kiss-,” Atem quickly knocked the back of her head with the book to cut Seto off.

            “Here, ignore him! He’s just being unkindly like you said I was being.” He plopped the book in to her hands and hooked his arm around her as he glared at Seto who silently chuckled as he walked away. _Ass…she’s unsafe without me around! Who suggests that out of the blue anyway? Wait, does that mean they’ve kissed already? As he gotten a kiss out of her!? That’s it, no more leaving her here alone! But how can I watch over her without her getting suspicious?_ He pondered, holding her firmly to his chest.

            “Uh…Atem, can I read by book now?” She looked up at him from beneath her lashes as she glanced between him and the book.

            _Fuuuuuuck, you’re going to kill me or make me kill anyone who has been around you!_ He quickly let her go and cleared his throat a bit. “Yeah sure, c’mon.” He grabbed her hand and lead her to a table. He would keep her safe, he just need to figure out how.


	43. Trouble in Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The library was supposed to be a place of peace and quiet, security in its many worlds. What happens when there's a bit of trouble and some rumors come out?

            The few found library was a gift to Terry, a place where she could expand her knowledge further in subjects foreign to her or dive in to a thrilling fictional world. She wanted to read every book there was available to her, no matter how odd or unpractical the feat. However, her mind was set and she would do her best to complete the daunting task. She had told the group that she would be spending time in the library for a while and that when she’s done she would join them again. They all gave their own version of accepting and with them around Atem would not be alone. It meant the other two would be less likely to harass him.

            She finished yet another book and went back to the shelf to grab the next, currently reading a series about some vampire war. It was interesting and a different take on the lasts series she had read about a fictional war. Flipping through the pages that she had found herself in of late, the only difference was her companion. She had never expected this to happen, but since his last visit to the library to find her he has been with her.

            Atem sat there staring at the book cover that faced him. His frequenting the library had not gone unnoticed and slowly people kept approaching him more and more. At first it was one or two shy students and now it was all sorts of people asking him for some help. Atem did not care, his free time here spent memorizing the aisles and what was where out of boredom. He had grabbed a few books himself every now and again to try and read what had caught her interest in them. Some turned out to be good, others were terrible. His comfort with the library had garnered him some sort of reputation as the person to go to and so he helped to passed the time. More and more people came to realize he really was not that bad of a person and the tension in the room was soon a thing of the past.

            _Vampires aren’t even real, why waste your time reading about them? I don’t get the hype about some overly powerful blood sucking creature. Shouldn’t you be more afraid of them anyway? They drink human blood. Is she really into this sorta thing?_ He wondered as his head rolled from side to side on the table. How long had they been in here? How much longer was left? He did not have a clue. _Well you forced yourself to be here, she didn’t ask you to join her. She probably would be alone with Seto in a corner somewhere without you cramping her style. What, you really think you can compete with him?_ The voice scoffed at him. He was not competing with Seto, not outright anyway. Seto hardly cared about the new girl, Mokuba and business were his top priorities. _Sure, you keep telling yourself that. If he didn’t care, why did he wave that word in your face? You didn’t tell him you kissed her. Maybe she told him, maybe they meet behind your back like Kyohei and Anzu. You think you’re something special? Look at what’s happened so far!_ Atem turned his head again and tried to shut out the voice.

            Terry barely noticed him turning his head side to side, though she could tell he was restless about something. She peeked over her book to see him looking towards some posters. Maybe she was imagining it? She really did not know, but since he was not staring at her it was safe to say he was preoccupied. As she returned to her book, he suddenly stood up and walked over to the librarian’s desk. She glanced over briefly but let it be, figuring he had finally decided on whatever was on his mind. Happy that he found something to read, she returned to the book at hand.

            The next day she headed straight for the library once more, but waited outside. Normally she would walk down the hall with Atem, but he was called away to the principal’s office for some reason. The sudden announcement left her uneasy.

            _It’s not like he’s been getting in to any trouble…right? Maybe something happened at home? Oh no, that’d be worse! I hope everything is ok…it didn’t sound urgent though and seemed to be expecting it._ She mulled over the possibilities of his being called out of class, munching on her sandwich all the while. Lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice she had finished and her teeth came clashing together with too much force. The uncomfortable tingle made her scrunch up her face as she looked to her nearly bit fingers. _That would’ve hurt! Geez, I didn’t even notice I was done!_ She sighed as she tossed the wrapper in a nearby trash and glanced down at her watch. Looking up and down the halls, she entered the library once more. _I really should get his phone number._ She texted Jonouchi, asking him to let Atem know she went ahead to the library.

            < _He’s here with us now actually, I’ll let him know._ > Was the response back. She stared at it for a moment, not sure why it made her feel a bit off.

            _I’m over thinking things is all!_ She shook it off as she sent a quick ‘thanks’ back and dived in to the next set of books until the bell for class rang. She was unable to ask him if everything was ok, seeing him so comfortable with the others made he feel that everything was ok. He was not someone who hid how he felt and to be so free with the others meant it was not something serious, to him at the very least. However, the unease was replaced with confusion as he was called out of class once more towards the end of the day. She frowned at this and glanced to Jonouchi who shrugged in response. _Odd…called out again…and he seemed ok about it too._ She noted that his bag was still in class too. He had come back eventually, grabbing notes from Jonouchi and was out of the room as soon as the bell sounded. He had gone in the opposite direction of the exit.

            Now something was up and she was more concerned than before. She quickly gathered her things and went down the same hallway he had. She was too slow though and lost track of him.

            “That’s strange…I wonder where he went? I’m overthinking things probably. This isn’t some village with few rations! Get it together Sharif!” She lightly rapt her knuckles against her head and turned around the corner to the library. Placing her things on a table, she went to the shelves to grab her next book. Sitting in her usual spot, she jumped right in without a care.

            The next day, everything was back to normal. Lunch was the usual, they ate quickly before heading in to the library since food was not allowed inside and spent the time there. In the blink of an eye, the bell for class was ringing and they were out once more. However, at the end of class Atem was out the door. Terry frowned at this as she headed over to Jonouchi who warned her about staying too later after school before heading off to his own club activities for the evening. She headed to the library as per usual, concerned for Atem.

            _Ok, next time we talk. Books can wait, something is going on and he probably is waiting to be asked and when we’re alone._ She figured, grabbing a book and taking her seat as per usual. Slowly more students started to filter in and there was a slight murmur of whispers floating about. She noticed a few girls gathered around the librarian’s desk but she could not see why. She figured it was some club thing and let it be, engrossing herself in the book at hand.

            “Yeah, she’s the girl whose been with Yami all this time from the other class!”

            “No way, that’s her? No surprise, she doesn’t even wear the uniform!”

            “She probably thinks she’s some hotshot!”

            “I heard she’s just desperate and stole him from Anzu!”

            “I heard he dumped Anzu though and she’s just hanging on him. Now that he’s single maybe I can get my chance!”

            “I heard she isn’t even full Japanese and has all these outrageous stories!”

            Terry glanced up at the girls, both jumping at the acknowledgement of her gaze.

            “She totally heard us! We’re in so much trouble!”

            “Cut it out! I told you to keep it down! Now she’s staring!”

            _When did people start talking about me? They really don’t have anything better to do?_ She sighed to herself, unfazed by all the talk as she turned her eyes back to her book.

            “Isn’t she scary? Not only that,” the girl suddenly lowered her voice.

            “What? What a jerk!” There was a sudden outburst of laughter and Terry sat there confused as to what exactly had been said that would garner that response and laughter.

            _I don’t understand high school girls at all!_ She sighed, hanging her head a bit when the sound of a book slamming shut echoed in the room.

            “Just what,” a very familiar voice spoke up from behind the group of girls around the librarian’s desk spoke up. “Did you all come here for? You see, I’m only here because I’m the library assistant. I’m not here to be in some after school gossip group with you all. If you’re going to keep coming here, read all these books first.” The command came and the sound of hands hitting a stack of books could be heard.

            _That voice…it can’t be, could it? But how…why? He barely says anything here._ Terry thought as the voice registered in her head.

“Also, while you’re on the subject, people who make fun of other people…I really hate them.” There was a momentary silence. “What, want more? If not, get out.” The girls dispersed as her savior finally came in to view.


	44. Reasons Why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth of where Atem has disappearing finally comes to light as Terry is saved from some cruel gossip.

Terry stared into the face of the voice that silenced the girls. Their words were not all that hurtful, but she was not exactly happy that they were talking about things they knew nothing about. Sadly, she knew her saying anything would only cause more trouble and being in a library only made it more difficult to speak up.

_Why did he speak up for me though?_  She wondered as two icy blue eyes looked right back at her, void of any real emotion that told anyone anything.

"It's rude to stare." Seto told her point blank, clearly unamused by this little staring contest they had going on.

"Right, thank you." She quickly looked back to her book. "Are you really okay with that though?"

"I didn't do it for you. They were just getting on my nerves." He waved off and turned back to his own book in hand. Atem came strolling in at this point, glancing around the place a bit as he walked up to Terry and flicked the back of her head.

"I shouldn't be surprised to find you here. Some girls were talking about some shit that went down. Everything ok?" He asked, taking the seat next to her as she turned to look at him.

"You didn't have to do that ya know." She mumbled as she rubbed the spot. "Huh? Oh, yeah everything is fine. They were just getting loud so Seto told them to leave."

"Really? That's  **all**  that happened?" He asked, waiting for her to say something more. He did believe her, her certainly would believe her over the girls that he ran into in the hallway. They were pretty upset and made it a point to reach out to him and explain some strange events that supposedly happened in the library.  _They said you were glaring at them, obviously you'd only do that if something was said and most likely about someone else. What was said though? Which led to an argument and then them being told to leave the library by the ever graceful Seto Kaiba._  He listed in his mind. "Don't try and say it's nothing, you're upset over it. I can tell, you got that little crease between your brows." He pokes her forehead just enough to push her head a little.

"Uhh, yeah. That's pretty much it…I mean they were talking pretty loud and laughing over something I just don't get." She shrugged it off. "Though, I don't know if this will matter to you but they did speak about your break-up with Anzu and who did what." She frowned at the topic.

_**That's**_ _the reason you're so upset? Why am I not surprised?_  He sighed, relieved it was not anything serious. "They can say whatever crap they want. It's done and over, if they wanna know the truth they'd ask. Don't pay it any mind." He ruffled her hair lightly with a small smile on his lips. "You just keep being you and read on little bookworm." He chuckled, folding his arms on the table to rest his head on.

"That wasn't going to change because of them." She rolled her eyes.

"Don't you sass me, go read."

"Yes, yes, mother." She sighed, turning back to her book once more. "Oh, I wanted to ask…why are you in and out of class so much?" She turned back to him and he tensed up a bit, his cheeks tinting a slight red at the question.

_Fuck, what do I tell her? I mean what's the big deal? I should just tell her! Why does it matter if she knows or not? I mean she's bound to find out one way or another. Dammit, I wanted to be cool while telling her though!_  He rattled his brain for a way to recover himself, not expecting her to pay so much attention to him yet flattered and elated by it all the same.  _She always knows how to one-up me._  "You really want to know?" He sat up, looking at her seriously. She sat a little straighter at his sudden mood change and it made him want to laugh at how cute she could be. Her eyebrows knit together as she leaned in and awaited him to say more as she gave a firm nod.

_Ah, when you look like that how can I not tease you a little?! You make it all too easy when you look so cute._  He reaches out to her, his hand slightly turned palm up as if to cup her cheek in his hand but just as he is about to touch his fingers curled and clamped her nose in a pinch.

"Atem!" She scowled and yanked her head back, almost knocking herself out of her seat. He quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her in to his chest instead of hitting the floor.

"No need to falling over little ol' me." He laughed.

"I'm not, you're just being mean!" She huffed and whacked his chest. It had a good amount of force, which only made him remember she could put up a good fight unlike most girls.

"Is that so? Doesn't look like it from where I'm seeing things." He snickered as her held her tighter still, not wanting to let go just yet. "Alright, alright, I'll tell you. I decided to join the soccer team again. I asked to be able to speak to the coach and could prove I could keep up with the team. I just had some formal crap to deal with is all."

"That's great news! Congratulations!" She grinned broadly at this, pulling away to properly look at him. "I've never really seen you play or show any signs of sportsmanship…but good for you!" She praised him, though her little precursor was not needed.

_That's totally her though._  He chuckled to himself. Before he could respond to her words there was a sharp sound of disapproval and the two turned to see Seto glaring at them. Terry instantly returned to her book after a quick apologetic look, but with a big grin on her face as she read. The grin made his cheeks heat up a little as he mumbled some protest under his breath as he laid his head down to rest once more.


	45. New Approach

" **What do you mean he's with her again**?!" Anzu snapped as her hand slammed down on the desk next to her. "They were supposed to be split up! She stopped heading to the roof for lunch and he left class early almost every day for a whole fucking week." The last time she had seen them, there was hardly any interaction, and now he was spending time with her in the library?  _Why is he chasing that good for nothing bitch? She has to be sleeping with him, why else would he be after her? He was all over me all the fucking time. Yeah, that has to be it! He's desperate for sex is all and she's putting out._  She took a few calming breaths as the door to the classroom opened. "Seems like the two aren't as split up as we thought." She crossed her arms as she turned to look at Kyohei.

"What makes you say that? the two haven't been on the roof for lunch, it's been him and those other losers for some time now." Kyohei raised a brow at this, kicking out a chair for himself. Anzu promptly sat on his lap as he leaned back.

"That's what we thought, apparently Yami's been going to the library to spend time with her." She rolled her eyes as she spat out the words. Anything in relation to Terry made her blood boil with such hatred.

"Him, in the library? Anzu, are you sure someone isn't pulling your leg? We used to hook-up there because he never went near there and he was busy with practice."

"I thought so, but Suki just came back from the library and told me how he's back there again. People even ask him for help in finding shit."

"Seriously, wow he's gotten pathetic!" Kyohei snorted as he shook his head.

"That's what I was thinking! Why the fuck would he be wasting his time there? She's got to be giving him something! There's no way he would bother being around her so much since she pisses him off all the time. She's just a slut faking her little innocent virgin act!"

"Well, then it's about time we had fun there for old time sake. What do you think?" He purred, tugging her forward by the blue bow of the girl's uniform. "She has to be giving him something and he's always bragged about your sex...which, I mean if he hadn't...I would've never tried out for myself to see the truth." He smirked.

"Well aren't you glad you did?" She wickedly smiled as she leaned closer and pressed her bodies more firmly against his. "And what exactly are you suggesting we do?"

"We know you love a good audience...so why not make your ex an audience? Seeing you'll definitely shock him in more ways than one...but it'll remind him just how good he had it with you and drop that bitch and be crawling back to us in no time." Anzu bit her lower lip in anticipation as a thrill ran up her spine which is soon replaced with rush of pleasure as his hand slips between her thighs under her skirt.

"Maybe we've been going about this the wrong way...the weakest link is him for us after all." She hummed her response as she rocked her hips.

"Enough about them, you know what to do." He grunted as he quickly stood up and lifted her up on the nearest desk.

* * *

Jonouchi was ecstatic to have his friend back on the team with him, the two great together in middle school. Even though it had been years since the two had played together, but something told the plucky blond that things would be alright. He had told everyone that Atem was back and boasted promises of winning matches once more, the spirit infectious coming from the friendly student. The lackluster response of Atem was no help though, the cold shoulder only distancing him from the others. Terry watched from her seat by the window in the library. They had not started yet, but there Atem was dribbling and running drills by himself as best he could.

_He's really dedicated to this._ It was not the first time she had seen him, in fact he was out there often when he was bored of staying in the library. She had never seen him so focused on anything outside of Yugi, the emotions different but the passion still there. It was a different side to him and dare she say it, handsome. There was a charisma in seeing him so dedicated and hardworking. She could not really peg the feeling, but it did warm her heart to see him this way. A small smile curled on her lips as she rested her head on the cool glass. "I wonder...were you like this as a little boy?" She whispered to no one as the book in hand slowly flopped shut on her finger. She did not get why Atem was so guarded all the time, it hurt her to think that something hurt someone so genuine in such a way that it ripped him away from the world. "Someday...when you're ready you'll tell me right?" She asked him, though she knew he could not hear her.

Turning back to the book, she opened back to the page she was on and stifled a sudden yawn. She lightly shook her head and focused once more on the type on the page. Tried as she might, her head lulled and rocked like a dead weight. The last couple of weeks packed with late nights was finally getting to her it seemed and her body refused to be denied proper rest any longer. She jerked forward but caught herself and sat up once more.

_Geez, this is something! It's such a nice warm afternoon though and this spot has just the right amount of sunlight._  She glanced out the window once more before she forced herself to focus once more.  _Get a hold of yourself Sharif. He has practice and you told him you'd wait._  She slapped her cheeks to wake herself a little more but was soon leaning with her head on hand. Her heavy lids slowly slid shut and remained that way as her consciousness slipped away from her. The book remained open from the weight of her hand as her breathing dropped to a soft and subtle pace.  _No...I've gotta open my eyes...I'm almost done._  She tried to will herself awake but had succumbed to the fatigue.

Time ticked away as Terry slept peacefully, no one disturbing her until he noticed her. She had been sitting there for some time now but he noted the page had not been turned and her eyes were shut. He leaned in closer to see if she was asleep before pressing his lips to hers. The soft and warm sensation was not lost on her though. It slowly stirred her from her rest, her sudden shift in posture startled him and he fled. The quick retreat of steps stirred her more as she forced her heavy lids to obey her and open. There was no one there though. She blinked a few times as she looked around herself.

_What was...wait, did someone...kiss me?!_  He face heated up a bit as the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Some stranger had kissed her.  _But why?! Wait, what if I hadn't moved...would they have tried anything else? This isn't good right? Or is it not as bad as I'm thinking it? Do I over think something like this?_  He mind raced as she quickly jumped to her feet and ran in the direction he thought the steps had gone only to crash into someone.

"Look where you're going before running...always running." The disapproving voice answered her, Seto Kaiba.

"Oh, Kaiba...did you by chance," she started but was cut off by someone calling her name.

"Yo, Ter-bear! There you are! I was looking for you!" Jonouchi grinned broadly as he walked up to where she and Seto stood in the aisle. "Oi, what are you doing here with her?" He scowled at Seto as he pulled her away.

"None of your business. If you're not getting a book, which I know you aren't, leave." Seto rolled his eyes as he placed the book back on the shelf and resumed his work.

"Oi, there you are. I was looking for you." Atem answered from the other side of aisle. "Oh, you found her Joey." He noted Seto look increasingly annoyed all of the sudden and Jonouchi was a bit ruffled as well.

_Wait, what? They all were here?!_  She looked between the three of them.  _Does that mean they saw who it was?_  She wondered when a fourth voice spoke up from behind Atem.

"What's this, an orgy? My, my, is there some hidden secret to you that I'm not allowed to know?" Kyohei smirked as his gaze flickered over Terry who was far from pleased by his presence.

"We all aren't sick shits like you. Don't lump her with the likes of you." Atem snapped as he stood up for Terry, stepping in the path of his gaze to keep her from his sight.

"Aw, afraid she may want me instead?" He raised a brow at Atem. "I didn't expect you to be so stingy. Is she that good of a lay?"

"You fucking ass," Atem grabbed the his collar and cocked back his arm to strike but a weight suddenly pulled it down. He turned to see Terry and found himself conflicted by this. Why was she stopping him?

"He isn't worth it, he's just saying stuff to get you in trouble." She quickly spoke up to assure him that she meant to keep him from ruining what he has been building for himself.  _Him as well?! That means...one of them had to have right? I didn't give the culprit enough time to run away and if anything it would have caused a commotion too. So who was it?_  She briefly glanced between the four guys.  _I'll think this over later, right now...I can't let Atem screw up the chance he's giving himself._

"So fucking noisy, get out if you've got nothing better to do than give me a headache." Seto pushed his cart in the direction of Jonouchi, forcing him out of the aisle to give room. Terry followed behind him with Atem in tow. She glanced back at Kyohei only to see him lick his lips and a sick feeling settled in her stomach.  _If it was him...I'm sure he would've tried something more._  She turned back to look where she was going, not giving Kyohei the satisfaction of a reaction which irked him.


	46. Plan of Action

The next few days were spent in the library as per usual, however Terry was unable to concentrate. Her mind wandered to the mystery in hand-who was the mystery kisser. There were four people within the vicinity which left her with four suspects as well as four witnesses.

 _T_ _hey had to have seen the culprit...but would they actually out the culprit?_  She glared at the pages that lay open before her.  _I'll need to find a way to figure this out without drawing too much attention._  She spilled out the sheet of paper hidden under her book. The four names of the boys neatly listed on it.  _I highly doubt it would be Seto Kaiba, he's not all that fond of me for some reason...and I doubt he is the type to prank like that._ She could hear his voice now:  _"Kiss you? Ha, I'd rather kiss a frog! I've got better things to do than waste my time on kissing a witless dullard like yourself!"_ She sighed at the insults that would come flying from him.  _Yeah, can't be him...which means he's a good person to ask though. Not only is he the librarian here, he was there at the time so he must have seen something._  She quickly scrawled the word 'question' next to his name.

The next name on the list was her childhood friend, Jonouchi. She was not sure it was him either but she had never really considered him possibly having more for her.

 _I doubt he would jokingly do something like this either. If he did, he probably would get flustered and deny it to no end._  She tapped the eraser of her pencil against the paper as she rested her cheek in her hand.  _I could try and ask him, but I'd have to be discrete about it. I can't let him catch wind of what I'm doing. If it wasn't him, he'd start to worry too and he gets worked up pretty easy...especially if Kaiba is anywhere near it._  She smiled a little to herself as she stifled the laughter that threatened to surface from her. Next to Jonouchi's name she wrote the word 'potential'.

Atem's name came just below his, a name that had her wondering one way or another. He had kissed her before, but she really did not know what to think about him.

 _It's not like he kissed me because he liked me like that right? He was trying to get back at me, thinking I was just observing him like some experiment._  She sighed as she leaned back in her seat and stared at his name on the paper, as if the letters would jump to life from the paper and give her the answers.  _He's been his usual self since that time we swapped seats though...I mean, a little more cruel than usual but friendly all the same. He probably would've pulled this stunt as a prank just to get to me for whatever reason._ She pursed her lips as she glared at the name.  _He would...so he's definitely a potential..._

She quickly copied the word next to his name, an odd feeling washing over her as she did. She paid it no mind though as she came to the last name on the list: Kyohei. The odd feeling quickly sank inside of her as her back straightened at the characters of his name.

 _He...he wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole...out of interest. If he's the culprit, there's motive and not the good kind._  She frowned as her eyebrows knit together.  _Anzu could've put him up to it or they both came up with some plan together...there's definitely ulterior motive if he's involved...and any question I bring his way will only give him a hint that I'm searching. He'd either cover his tracks or use any information to make my life troublesome all over again._ She clenched her jaw at the thought of him being the kisser and it made her gut twist with the possible motives he would have and what that meant for her. She quickly scribbled the word 'potential' by his name but added 'caution' beside it.

She picked up the paper, quickly reading over the list and the newly added words with satisfaction. It was a start, now she had some sort of plan of action on how to handle each of the possibly suspects. Carefully, she folded and pocketed the list as her she mentally mapped out a rough route on who to ask first and how when someone suddenly placed their hand on her shoulder. She grabbed the hand reflexively and yanked at the hand and pulled the owner forward with her free elbow ready to introduce itself to the solar plexus.

"O-oi, hey!" Atem shouted as he quickly caught on to where this was headed and managed to veer himself off course a bit though it ended up with him on the floor. "Geez, what the fuck? I was shouting your name for like ten minutes now! What's so great about these books that you just forget about everything else?" He scowled as he pushed himself up off the floor and dusted his clothes a bit.

"Atem, I'm sorry! I didn't realize...uh yeah, it's a mystery novel actually so I'm trying to figure out the case with whatever clues that've been given so far." She jumped from her seat and helped him up, looking to the mystery book that she had opened but not a word was read by her this entire time. "Are you done with practice today?" She asked, tugging his shirt down back into place.

"Almost, coach had to go make a call so he gave us a break. I came up to see how you were but it seems that's life threatening in itself." He grumbled as he rubbed his abdomen at the possible pain it would have had if he had not torqued his body to shift the moment of his fall.

"I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to! I was just so wrapped up in a mystery!"

"I think I deserve more than an apology...don't you think?" He offered, a slight smirking curling on his lips as he saw her contemplate his words.

"Alright, what do you think you deserve?" She asked, the innocence beckoning the beast inside him to come out and play.

 _You're such a naive idiot...you shouldn't just agree to shit like this with anyone else except for me ok?_  "I think...you owe me a kiss." He said after a moment of mock contemplation on what he would like. Her eyes widened at the request, the slight smirk on his lips and the mischief in his eyes making her think of the kiss she had been pondering. She could remember it so vividly, as if it was something from just moments ago.

_I can still feel it...I remember it was something gentle and sweet...with a bit of bite._

"Terry, hello? Earth to Terry!" Atem waved his hand in front of her face a bit to pull her out of her thoughts, noting the effect his words had on her. Blinking twice, her cheeks suddenly burned a brilliant rose red. "Terry...?" He frowned at this odd reaction from her.

"Ah, one second!" She quickly shouted and ran passed him and straight out of the library. Why was she running? She did not have a clue. It is not like he had a clue as to what she was working on.  _It's just a coincidence! It doesn't mean anything...right?! But what if he's trying to tell me he kissed me? Then what? Do I want to know if it was some stupid prank? Why does it matter so much who kissed me anyway?!_  She suddenly came to a stop and slumped against the wall as she tried to clear her head a bit.  _Why did I run like that? That's just making things more suspicious!_  She internally groaned to herself.

"There you are!" His voice suddenly came from nearby in the hall. "What the fuck was that for?" He frowned as he grabbed on to her wrist to make sure she could not run again. "Geez, I have to run enough in soccer as is!" He snapped at her but gave her a serious look over. "You're making a face like you're in love," he pointed out.

_Love?!_

"Or something stupid...knowing you, probably the latter." He rolled his eyes and she glared at him.

"It's nothing, you're just seeing things!" She argued back as she stood up but suddenly she found herself pressed against him with her face hidden against his shoulder. One of his large warm hands rested on the back of her head, keeping her hidden as his other hand gripped her wrist tight.

 _Don't go making stupid faces like that you dumbass...makes stupid cute faces like that and some lecherous freak will attack you and your naivete won't see it coming. This isn't some expedition or some place where the bad is easily told from good._  He scolded her in his mind.  _Yeah, just like you right?_  The little voice reared it's ugly self once more in his mind.  _I mean look at you, here you are begging for kisses and now you're lecturing her on things that **you're**  doing? Hypocritical much?_ It sneered but he paid it no mind as Terry pushed against his chest a bit.

"I'm fine, really!" She lightly laughed off. "I'm ok, just a lot on my mind."

"Oi, just shut up and stay still ok? You want everyone to see how red your face is?" He snapped at her.  _Shit, not what I meant to do!_  He quickly realized.  _Way to go genius...way to fucking go._  His panic was quickly calmed by her sudden compliance though, a sigh of relief slipping from his lips as he held her. "I'm protecting you from other people. ONly I'm allowed to see you like this and tease you, got it?" He looked down to see her look back up at him and he softly smiled at her "Pfft, you look just like a lot kitten...cute."

 _Could he have been the person...? What if he was...should I ask?_  She is about to ask him when he suddenly bit her nose.

"What, falling in love with me so quickly are we?" He smirked and Terry's face burned red again for a whole different reason as she pushed firmly at his chest and scowled at him.

"I'm not in love, not one bit!" She stuck her tongue out at him and turned on her heel and quickly walked back to the library, Atem watching her as she disappeared around the corner. He chuckled to himself as she ran his fingers through his hair.

"Of course not...it'd be far too easy if you did. You're nothing but trouble." He smiled to himself before following after her, both of them not realizing someone was standing just around the corner watching their little exchange. Once the two had walked away, the stranger turned and walked away from where he had watched the scene unfold.


	47. Getting to Know You

_Ugh, stupid Atem! Clearly, he’s not going to be of any help! If he’s the culprit it’s definitely because he’s teasing me. Even if it wasn’t him, he’ll probably fake that it was or tease me because of it. All in all, he’s not serious what so ever._ She concluded as she walked back into the library to return to her things, head down lost in thought. Noting a pair of shoes just in her field of vision, she looked up to see none other than Seto Kaiba.

“Oh, it’s you.” He barely glanced at her as he organized the documents and books on the table.

“Yeah, hi.” She waved to him, not entirely sure on what she should do at this moment. There he was with no one else around, but she had no idea what to ask or how to ask without sounding like a lunatic to him. _Anything I say to him will probably make him think I’m a lunatic…I need to question quick and efficiently with him._

“You cause a lot of commotion. Be more mindful of the library or I’ll kick you out like I did those other nuisances.” He bluntly stated, not even bothering to glare at her or check if she was still there to listen.

“Ah, yeah, sorry. I’ll be more mindful.” She nodded her head. “You shouldn’t talk about those girls that way you know. Yes, they were causing a bit of noise but it hardly was anything malicious you know? It’s just words.” She rested her hands on her hips as she looked at him with a frown.

“Good-what?” Seto turned and glared at Terry. _Is she actually defending the girls who were insulting her? Is she a glutton for punishment or something? That must be the case since she’s sticking with Atem all the time and dealing with those two petty fools._ The corners of his lips turned downward as his eyes narrowed as he observed her. Was she lecturing him? She had to be with the pose she held and that sincere stern look on her face. _And I’m the one that tried to help her, what a joke!_

“I said, you shouldn’t talk about those girls like that. I’m grateful that you helped me, don’t get me wrong there. However, your badmouthing them is no better than what they did to me, right?” She clarified, smiling a little at his attention. “You’re not a bad guy Seto Kaiba. I appreciate the help, just be careful on how you say things alright?”

 _Not a bad guy, what is she even talking about? Did she really think I did it to help her? I ended up helping her because they were bothering me._ He growled a little in his chest as his frown grew in to a scowl. “I didn’t do anything **for you**. I did it because they were **bothering me**. My helping you was purely coincidental.” He snapped and she laughed. _What do you find so funny?_ His eye twitched at the lack of proper reaction from her.

“So, you’re the contradictory type huh?” She grinned at the realization. “Don’t worry, I won’t go spreading any rumors. I’m still grateful whether you did it intentionally, or not as you so insist. Just don’t become them ok?”

 _Become them? Are you kidding me? Are you listening to a damned thing I’m saying woman? She must be daft._ He took a slow calming breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do whatever you want, one more commotion and you’re out just like them.” He curtly spoke and turned on his heel with a pile of books in hand.

“Don’t mind him,” a voice spoke up from behind her. “He’s a sourpuss pain in the ass.” Terry turned to see a female student an inch or two shorter than herself with wavy brown hair and honey brown eyes.

 _Why does she look so familiar?_ Terry wondered for a moment when it dawned upon her. “You’re in my class, right? Uhm, Rei Kitaoji, right?”

“Yup, that’s me! I’m surprised you remember my name though. We’ve barely even spoken!” She looked at Terry with obvious shock. “I barely get a chance to speak to you with Yami, Mizaki, and Ichinose swarming around you…but now Kaiba as well? You’re just all sorts of luck huh?” She laughed. “At least you have Jonouchi, Mina, and the others, right?”

“Mizaki…Ichinose…? Oh, are you talking about Anzu and Kyohei?” Terry mulled over the new names.

“Uh, yeah…who else? Wait, don’t tell me you never knew their full name!” Terry sheepishly grinned at this, scratching the back of her head. “Oh my, you didn’t?! Haha, how is that possible?!” Rei cracked up at the fact that this girl had gotten in so deep with the troublesome people in school.

“I mean they hardly gave me a chance to ask and I doubt I can go up to them now and be like ‘hey, mind giving me your full name?’ you know?” Terry pouted at the laughter.

“True, very true. But man, you didn’t even know. Anyway, if Kaiba give you any trouble you let me know alright? I’ll straighten his pompous ass for you.” She said with a stern nod.

“He really isn’t that bad, pompous yes, but I’m obviously dealing with worse when it comes to Anzu and Kyohei.” She pointed out the comparison. “He’s harmless, it’s all bark and no bite.”

“Alright, but if he tries anything you just come to me alright?”

“Sure thing,” she grinned at the friendly face among all this confusion.

“Are you staying after for a club or something?”

“Me, no.” Terry shook her head. “I’m waiting on Atem and Joey. We walk home together usually so I wait for them here. What about you?”

“Joey…? Oh, Jonouchi! And by Atem, you mean Yami yes? Man, I haven’t heard anyone call him Atem in a long time. He usually gets pretty pissed over it.” She rolled her eyes as Terry nodded her head in response to the questions.

“I mean, yeah he does…but that’s his name.” She shrugged. “He never said I couldn’t call him them though he did make a face at first.”

“Damn, you’re just whipping all the ruffians!” Rei snickered at this. “I’m waiting on some friends too actually. They have club today so I’m just passing the time reading a book.” She raised the one in hand.

“Oh, I just finished that one! I think the second one is much better though.” Terry grinned at the title.

“Hey, hey, no spoilers!” Rei huffed and poked at Terry.

“I won’t, I won’t!” She laughed as she jumped away but the two quickly straightened up and covered their mouths as a sharp ‘ahem’ and a pointed glare was directed at them. Terry quietly motioned Rei to follow her to her table. Raising a finger, Rei headed to her table to collect her things as in walked Atem. Hands in his pocket he poked Terry’s forehead.

“Way to run, anyway I have to head back. Joey and I will meet you out front. Don’t go doing anything stupid or running down halls again. You might just fall down some stairs…I swear, always the damn running with you.” He rolled his eyes as Rei came up to them.

“Hi, I’m stealing her.” Rei hooked her arm around Terry. “You can have her back when you’re done with your club activities. You hog her all the time anyway!” Sticking out her tongue she pulled Terry away to leave a confused Atem.

“I’ll see you guys out front!” Terry laughed and turned to face the same direction as Rei. He stood there for a moment, utterly confused as he gave a slight wave and left with a shake of his head. The two settled at the table with Terry’s things, a slight pause settling between the two.

“Did you see the look on his face just now? He was so confused!” Rei giggled as Terry tried to hold back her own laughter.

“I know! He probably won’t believe we only just started talking though!

“Well that’s what happens when awesome meets awesome! He’s gonna have to deal with it. I see this as the dawning of a beautiful friendship.” Rei energetically grinned and Terry grinned with equal enthusiasm.

“I couldn’t agree more.” She nodded as the two delved in to all sort of topics. The time flew by and soon the both were off to their awaiting friends. Terry gave a quick introduction to the boys of her new friend, Atem scowling at her while Jonouchi grinned and welcomed the new friend with warm reception. Rei turned to her friends who both look at Terry.

“Hey, it’s you from the race! Do you remember us?” Hikaru grinned and pointed to herself. “Sakura, look who it is!”

“I see that Hikaru, no need to get so riled up!” Sakura rolled her eyes, but smiled at Terry nonetheless.

“Yes, I remember the both of you. I don’t think we ever got properly introduced though. My name is-,” she started but Hikaru quickly cut her off.

“We all know who you are. No worries, I’m Hikaru and this is Sakura. Were you spending time with Rei?”

“Oh, yeah. We just met today actually and it’s a pleasure to meet you two again.”

“Such a small world, and I see you’re not attached to a leash anymore.” Sakura looked to Atem who scowled more.

“Yeah, thanks for that.” He grunted the response as Jonouchi smacked his shoulder.

“Don’t mind him, he’s just shy!” He grinned and looked to the trio of girls. “You ladies better get home though, it’s getting late. It was great meeting you.”

“I’m not shy!” Atem snapped at Jonouchi and turned to Rei. “Thanks for keeping this idiot out of trouble.” He pointed to Terry who was now the one with a scowl.

“I don’t mind, though I can’t promise I’ll be keeping her out of trouble.” She laughed as Hikaru and Sakura snorted at the mention of it.

“We’ll be leaving now, see you around Terry.” Sakura waved and ushered the other two towards the gates. The two groups turn in opposite directions as they head home for the evening.


	48. The Answer

Rei happily spent her time with Terry at the library from that day onwards, the two girls enjoying all sorts of topics from deep discussions to frivolous time passing subjects. Each day they learned a little more about one another and soon they even spent lunch together. She had divulged to her new friend of her little predicament of the mystery kisser and her list of subjects. She sat there, silently waiting for Rei's response. There was no sign of anything in her expression at first, but slowly her eyebrows knit together.

"I'm sorry,  **what did you say happened**?" Rei asked.

"Someone kissed me and I'm trying to find out who." She summed up, pulling out the list. "I know it sounds weird, but these are the people I saw when I ran after the culprit.

"Whoever this ass is  **just up and kissed you**? And just split? Who the fuck does that?! The moment you find out who they are you let me know!" She slammed her fist onto the table, her chair toppled back on the floor from her jumping to her feet. A sharp tone told them to be silent and Terry quickly had her back in her seat before Rei could react to Seto's scolding.

"I just want to find out who and why...he is one of the four so please don't do anything and tell me what you think of who may have done it?" Terry whispered, hands clapped together in front of her to urge Robin to focus on finding out who first. Reluctantly she picked up the list and read the notes Terry had been jotting down.

"Hm, I highly doubt Jonouchi is anyone you should be too worried about you know." Rei finally spoke up after she reviewed the list Terry had. "You're definitely better off thinking of him as a witness more than anything."

"That's what I figure, it's a gut feeling that he wouldn't even joke about this sort of thing." Terry nodded, sipping her drink. "I don't want to ask him though. He'll get way too overprotective and probably jump to conclusions on who it was...namely blame Kaiba who probably doesn't have a thing to do with it either."

"Well...I don't know about that." Rei hesitantly spoke up. "I feel like, I dunno, this is just my thought though...he asks different with you and that's not a bad thing. However, that's something to take note of too. I've known him longer than you too. I know how he acts with people and the way he reacts to you is just different. You and Yami, I think you guys are just friends and he's probably pulling this off as a gag if it was him...but I really have my bets on Kaiba." She pointed to his name on the paper.

"You really thinks so?"

"Well, he fits the culprit's shoes don't you think? He has access to everywhere here and he can easily hide in any aisle and it not be suspicious. He's also pretty odd when it comes to you, he actually protected you from those girls that were insulting you." She listed. "He has the perfect alibi and that alone is suspicious. Yami and Jonouchi have football (soccer) practice, they would've been tired and probably make a lot more commotion. From the sounds of it, your guy was calm until he started to wake up."

"Hm, I suppose that does make a lot of sense...but why though? Why just up and kiss someone?" She pondered, resting her chin in her hand as she looked over the short list of guys on the paper. Something just was not sitting well with Terry, but she was unsure why. A gut feeling told her that Seto was not someone who would do this and especially to her.  _But maybe I'm overthinking about him? I mean I barely know him compared to Rei. She wouldn't just throw me in some direction either. She's thinking about this more seriously than I am I think. She just straight up hit the guy._  She thought nervously to herself.

"Ichinose wouldn't bother with you, there's now way he would unless he tried poisoning you and failed miserably. Your focus should be Seto Kaiba at this time." She nodded her head firmly as Terry glanced over at the busy tall brunette.

" A better start than any other I suppose. I'll confront him after school today." She nodded her head in affirmation as she took the age and pocketed it once more. "Thanks for your insight." She smiled.

"I'm glad I could help, let me know if I'm right or wrong ok? I doubt it wasn't him, but if by some chance it isn't him I'll help you figure this out!" She thumped her chest lightly for show and Terry smiled.

"I'll definitely keep you posted on it. You'll be here after school right?"

"Yeah, I'm waiting on Sakura and Hikaru again."

"So am I, for Joey and Atem that is. Not just this whole thing right here." She motioned to their general area."

"Oh yeah, they have their first game coming up soon right?" Rei frowned at this information. "Hmm, I hope it's not them so I don't end up beating them up before the game."

"There's no need to beat anyone up, I'm fine." She stressed, laughing it off a little nervously to diffuse the anger that was brewing inside her.

"Hmm, if you say so...but know I have your back." She frowned a little at Terry's insistence. She was not happy at all about the news. If anything she wanted to demand an answer from the one here in the room now.  _I can't just forcefully take over though. She has a lot of shit on her plate as is...I would be adding more trouble probably._

"I know you have my back if I need support." She grinned, giving a thumbs up to her. "We just have to be patient and wait until after school. The bells going to ring soon, so let's head back." She began to pack her things as she glanced at the clock.

"Oh yeah, we better!" Rei turned to look and began to pack as well. The two are back in class just in time, Atem and Jonouchi walking in behind them from their small meet up with their coach. Terry waved to them, taking her seat as they took theirs. Rei glared at the two a little, but quickly caught herself and played it off as nothing as she stuck her tongue out at them.

 _The fuck did I do? Is it cause coach called me away? Not like I can help that!_  He frowned as he glanced at Jonouchi who merely shrugged and looked equally clueless as well. He turned to try and catch Terry's eye but tensed as Kyohei made himself comfortable on her desk.  _What the fuck does he think he's doing?_  He was about to walk over there when that pestering little voice in his head popped up again. Perfect timing as always. O _h, and what are you going to do? You'll only cause trouble and she'll end up saving you again because you can't handle your own battles like the wuss you are. Look at her, she probably would prefer talking to him since he's actually a challenge! All you do is hide and pretend to be something you're not! She could not possibly be interested in him right?_  He was always causing her some sort of trouble.  _Yeah, because of you._  Atem grit his teeth.  _You're just a pathetic let down, nothing like him and you know it! A useless parasite!_  It sang on.

Terry looked up at Kyohei, her face lacked any emotion as she raised a brow in question. The odd sensation of her gut twisting was back as she smirked at her.

"Hey there, I haven't seen you around a lot...not hanging with Yami anymore? Did he bore you? I mean, if you want some excitement I can give you all the excitement you need." He purred, reaching out to touch her hair but his hand was smacked away as she glared at him.

"Don't touch me and get off my desk. I don't know what I'd be bored of or why you assume I would be bored of Atem but that's not the case at all. I'm just spending time in the library with some other friends. He's busy with his own things too. So if you're done wasting time, get off my desk and leave me alone. I don't bother you, so don't bother me or him." She sternly spoke not comfortable with him at all and the sudden flicker of some emotion in his brown eyes only had her more guarded.

"Is that how it is? No wonder you have him so interested...well then, you can't blame me if I want to have a taste too right?" He whispered as he hopped off her desk and took his usual seat.

 _What does he mean by that?! Did he-no, he probably just saw. He would've made a scene about it by now unless he has something planned. This isn't good...I better make sure it wasn't him quickly. Who knows what he plans on doing._  She kept her face stoic as she paid his words no mind and picked up her pencil. Kyohei smirked to himself at her response, amused and intrigued all the more.

 _The only girl to ever fight me...well it won't hold up for long. I know for a fact she's just like any other girl. She's just playing hard to get._  He turned to the front to look at the teacher for a moment before he turned his head down and began texting some of the girls in school to pass the time.

* * *

 

The class time flew by, Kyohei and Anzu ditching some time in the middle of it all much to Terry's relief. The two had done everything to distract her from childish antics like flicking paper at her to trying to knock stuff of her desk or shove her in some way. She kept her composure through it all though, not about to let them get the best of her. She had dealt with worse, her patience far greater than they expected and Atem was counting on her too. That was motivation alone for her to do her best.

"Hey," a familiar voice called her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, hey Atem. What's up?" She smiled up at him.

 _Quit smiling up at me like that...the fuck is wrong with you? Why won't you cry or something? Why...why are you doing all this for me? I just don't get it! I'm an ass to you as is, isn't that enough? Why are you adding more?_  He screamed in his mind, just wanting to take her up into his arms and scold her. Tell her to stop, but when she smiled like that he lost his words. "You ok?"

"Hm? Oh you saw that stuff? Nothing new, they go back and forth with days of annoying me or not." She laughed off, standing from her seat. Atem raised his hand slightly to cup her cheek but stopped and clenched his fist at his side.

"Yeah, they're real pains in the ass. You don't have to deal with them you know. Not anymore anyway."

"I don't have to, you're right." She nodded her head. The words felt like a cold slap to his face.

 _So she finally sees your worth! Aren't you pleased?_  He sneered at himself.

"But I'm not doing it out of a have to for me. I'm doing it because I want to help you. You're my friend and like I said...I'm taking full responsibility for keeping a friend like you." She grinned at him, reminding him of the words they exchanged that day in the hall when they finally spoke after his little screw up.

 _Because you want to help me? Why...what did I do to deserve help from you?_  "You did say that didn't you?" He forced a grin on his face as he plopped his hand on her head and ruffled her hair a bit. "Such a weirdo! I plan on keeping you to that word!" He laughed as she fought to move his hand.

"Hey, hey, I am a girl you know! I liked how my hair was today!"

"Well too bad, I was in a hair messing mood today." He chuckled, but helped smoothed out her hair a bit when Jonouchi came over and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"You know we're here for you right?" He looked straight at Terry who happily nodded her head.

"I know, I know. I'll send a signal flare when I need help!" She assured them both. "You both better start heading out though, you'll be late to practice!" She scolded them.

"Yeah, yeah, we're going!" Atem wrinkled his nose as Jonouchi jumped behind him in mock fear of her. The two boys left as Rei walked up to her.

"You really just let those guys walk all over you! You don't deserve that crap!" She puffed her cheeks, Sakura and Hikaru in tow as well.

"Heh, I decided to help. When I decide to do something, I go through with it and see it until the end. That's just how I am."

"You've got a lot more guts than I thought...though I question if that's just actually stupidity at this point." Sakura sighed as Hikaru teared up at the admirable words.

"You have true sportsmanship! It's just so beautiful!" She sobbed and Sakura wrinkled her nose.

"Alright, enough with the water works! We gotta go!" She pushed Hikaru to the door. "We'll see you two after club."

"Haha, alright! See you! Don't cry too much Hikaru!" Rei called out to them as they left and looked to Terry. "Alright, I'm going to find a spot for us to have the perfect stakeout from and you can leave your stuff there." She whispered. "I'll go ahead. Come five minutes after me ok?" She quickly ran ahead, Terry agreeing to follow this plan of action. Once the time was up, she headed to the library once more. It was quiet like always after school. She found Rei quickly and set her things at the table.

"Have you seen him?" She whispered.

"No, maybe we should split up and fake browse around?" Rei suggested. Terry thought for a moment before she nodded her head. "Text me if you spot him and I'll do the same for you." She pointed to her cell and the two split up. It was a bit odd trying to look like she was not looking for someone, looking up and down the aisles of her half of the library. She walked in down some aisles to be a little more convincing.  _Where could he be? I mean he's the tallest guy in this damn school how is it so hard to find him here?!_  Rei frowned when her phone vibrated with a single letter from Terry.  _Did she find him?_

* * *

 

Terry was walking down an aisle when she spotted someone and gave a small excuse me as she passed them. It only registered just after who it was and she quickly whipped out her phone to text Rei when someone grabbed her elbow and turned her around.

"Kaiba…?" She glanced up at him and then down to her elbow that he held. He stepped closer, backing her into the shelf.

"I kissed you." The words came out so freely from his lips, it shocked her. Her eyes widened a bit, shocked that he was addressing her about it instead of her asking him. "That day, when you fell asleep reading a book by the window."

 _So it was Kaiba? Rei was right?_  She questioned this, something about it was unsettling. It just was not sitting right with her.

"I'm sorry, I don't-" she began to speak as she pulled her elbow from his hand but his other cupped her chin and tilted her head up. She looked back at him, the steel of her grey eyes always getting under his skin. Even now it was troubling him at how she watched everything.

"If the clue you're looking for is a kiss...why not see for yourself?" He whispered as his thumb pressed against her lower lip. He leaned closer to her face and she quickly jerked her head back into the bookshelf.

"W-wait a second Kaiba-ow!" She hissed at the sudden sharp pain some the metal edge of the shelf met the back of her head. He leaned closer still and her heart went into a frenzy ad she tried to find some way to stop him.

"That's my kitten," a sudden voice came from the end of the aisle and the both of them turned to see Atem with an elbow propped on the shelf and his head against his knuckles.

 _Atem?! What is he doing here?_  She was surprised by his sudden appearance she forgot how close Seto was to her.

"What are you trying to do to her?" He asked Seto, a hostility in his gaze and a cold smile on his lips before shifting his gaze to Terry. "I wouldn't like it if you let yourself be tamed." His gaze softened a bit at the sight of her, his smile dropped to a frown.


	49. The Truth

_I, he probably has the wrong idea! I don't want him getting in any trouble when he just got back on the team!_  She quickly made her resolve as she turned to him. "I, he, well...I'm not going to lie to you. Something happened in the library a few days ago when I fell asleep and I'm trying to figure out who did it. OK, that sounds way to vague and strange...but someone kissed me. Kaiba was...he said he was the one that did it." She clarified, it obvious she was not prepared to discuss so suddenly but her focus was not on herself. "I was looking for him to ask him and he was telling me! So please, don't think he was doing anything weird...well no, this was weird still wasn't it?" She rambled. "Just, please don't get upset or anything

 _Are you fucking kidding me? Why do you care if I get upset and fuck yes what he did was weird! You can't just, why are you so oblivious!?_  "What do you mean don't get the wrong idea?" Atem raised a brow, the cool smile back in place as he turned his attention back to Kaiba. "Huh..." His expression dropped as Kaiba stood there with her elbow in hand. The silence between them was awkward and palpable. Rei had gone searching for Terry when there was no response to her texts. She had managed to overhear the comments from Terry and quickly pieced together that something was definitely was about to go down.

 _Oh shit, this doesn't look good at all! Does Yami like her? Oh crap...this is bound to cause trouble._  She glanced at Terry who took note of her with a quick nod but motioned to not do anything. As the tension built between them, reaching a peak, everyone turned to Kaiba who let out a sigh.

"I was kidding." He dropped her elbow and sighed again as he straightened up.

"Eh?!" Terry looked up at him as Atem raised a slight brow as he walked down the aisle towards Atem.

"It wasn't me. I just happened to see it. Right when  **he**  kissed you." He stopped and looked at her over his shoulder before turning and walking past Rei who stood there mouth agape. Terry stood there frozen in her spot as she tried to register everything that was going on when her legs moved her and she ran out from between the shelves.

"Who?!" She called out to him.

"I don't want to tell you." He stopped and turned to look at her. "It's not that I couldn't tell you. I just don't want to." With those simple words he turned right back around. "Don't make anymore noise or I'll kick you out of here." He simply admonished her and resumed his duties.

 _It wasn't him...but then why did lie and say he did it? Was he really going to kiss me?! I don't get him at all. Was it because I complimented him? Does he not do well with compliments?_  She frowned, her eyebrows furrowed as she wondered about what this could all mean. Atem watched Terry from behind, noting how confused she was about all this and opened his mouth to speak but Rei beat him to it.

"That was...so it wasn't him? I could've sworn it was. I mean yeah he isn't a romantic, but he even went so far as to lie about it?" She frowned and turned to Atem. "What brought you here?"

"Oh, Atem!" Terry quickly turned to look at him only to be met with a light thump of the side of his hand hitting her head. "What was that for?"

"For being so damn vulnerable and doing shit on your own! Guys aren't innocent and people do shit...you going to let every guy who said he kissed you kiss you?" He scolded her. "Why didn't you tell me this was bothering you?"

"I figured you'd just make fun of me or something." She pouted as she rubbed the spot. "You didn't have to hit me for it.

 _Yes I did you idiot._  "Yeah, so? I'd make sure you were safe though! Honestly, I have my hands full with you more than you with me!" He shook his head lightly as his shoulders slumped a bit.

"Yeah well...what are you doing here? Don't you have practice now?" She looked up at him.

"I wasn't feeling too well." He shrugged so I was on my way to the nurse's when I thought I'd check up on you." He said with a slight wave of his hand. "I was just in the area." He stressed.

"Oh, well thanks for coming. I didn't know what to right then. I was seriously about to hit him if he hadn't stopped!" She sighed with obvious relief.

"You were going to hit Kaiba?! Oh man, I wish you had! That would've been worth something!" Rei laughed off, hugging Terry. "And here I said I was going to make sure that nothing weird happens." She frowned apologetically to Terry who dismissed it with a wave.

"Well now we know it isn't him and that he won't help us find out who it is." Terry sighed, Atem watching the two and chuckled a little to himself.

"Just give yourself a break for today. You're still a girl and these things aren't simply brush off matters. Go read a book, I'll see you after practice." He nudged her towards the shelves and left the library before he no longer could control the urge to hug her.

"I hate to agree with him, but he has a point you know?" She turned to Terry at this. "I'm sorry you still don't know who it is, but maybe we should give the hunt a little break. I mean this was your first kiss."

"First? Oh no, it's not." Terry quickly clarified. "Though...I suppose my first technically should not really count that much either." She laughed, scratching the back of her head.

"Well, even if it was your hundredth kiss! It's still a kiss and whoever did this is just giving you more trouble cause now we know whoever saw may just end up lying to you. Though I don't get why he went out of his way to lie to you." She grumbled as the two returned to their table. "I mean who does that? It was probably him just getting back at you for the other day too! He took your kindness for granted." She concluded aloud, but it all did not sit well with either of the two girls.

"Yeah, who knows? He isn't giving the answer anytime soon either." Terry sighed as she picked up the book she was reading but turned to Rei. "Thanks, for being here...and helping me."

"Like Yami said, you're still a girl and yeah you lived an odd life but these things are still important you know? Maybe not life shattering like for some, but still it's something intimate and it's violating to some degree." Rei softly smiled and placed a hand over Terry's. "You've been wracking your brain alone and just focusing on the facts, I think now other implications are just settling in." Terry silently listened to Rei, biting at her lower lip a bit.

"It isn't life shattering...but not knowing is definitely troubling me." She whispered, not really she how to verbalize her feelings anymore and was grateful that Rei did not press the matter either as they sat in silence reading their own books.


	50. Sorting Thoughts

            Atem stared up at the window where he could see the top of Terry’s head from the soccer field, currently done with his drills. The sight of her face so panicked for him sent his heart soaring, but the flicker of fear he had seen that she was trying to hide only made his chest constrict. Gritting his teeth. he looked down at the grass between his feet. She was trying to be strong like usual and it irked him.

            _Why won’t you just lean on me? I’m not…I’m not worth your protection. If only you knew, all I think about you when you look at me._ He rested his head in his hands, squeezing his eyes tight. She was all he ever thought about for a while now. It was just natural. When did this all start? The moment they met, he had no idea he was looking at a face he would never forget. _I can’t get her off my mind._ He chuckled to himself.

            It was like he had just bumped into her yesterday for the first time, how sincere she was in apologizing but confronted him when he was out of line. She always ran ahead with her ideas, never thinking twice about her own safety, and always just sticking herself in all sorts of trouble because of it.

            _Talking and spending lunch with me alone is a major red flag of that idiocy and she’s too damn naïve. She should’ve hit Seto regardless, she can’t think all guys will be nice like Joey or something._ He sighed, his gaze back on the window. The need to be somebody to her grew with every glance her way, someone she could rely on even if a little. She made him want to be a better person. _Though I’m probably one of the worst._ He sighed to himself as he grabbed his water bottle and distracted himself from looking at her for too long. _I’m afraid…someone’s gonna screw with her and take her away from me._ He watched the clear liquid sparkle in the sunlight.

            _I’ve never been good with words though._ He sighed once again and looked up at the blue sky to try and change his train of thought. _Well, at least not the sweet kind anyway. She’s such a trick…I swear that girl! Why…when she’s around, it’s like I just lose my mind. I should just leave it alone…but I can’t._ He pursed his lips as he recalled the kiss he stole from her on the rooftop. _I’m getting in my own because I know I’m crazy to even think so much about her. A girl like her wouldn’t never go for a guy like me. She just…ugh! She steals the air when she’s around and I just, I’m left tongue tied and I just end up saying bullshit I don’t mean! She really doesn’t see me and yet here I am…look at me!_ He scoffed at himself. _I can’t just leave her alone. She’s a danger to herself, how can I leave her alone?_

            Once again, that cynical and critical voice in the back of his mind was silent. He noticed it was worse than before, but at the same time it was better. Since she came in to his life, he berated himself a lot less and he was not sure if that was a good thing. He was still atoning for what he did. He was not allowed to be forgiven. His eyes narrowed in to a stern glare as a cloud passed by. The venom was less frequent; however, it was far viler when it was thought.

            _Would she accept me though?_ He wondered as he glanced at the window once more. She had not moved an inch as per usual, she was reading but he wondered just how much of it was an act. Had he imagined that fear when she was pinned by Seto? He knew she was relieved that he stopped it, he was glad he had stopped it too. The fact that he tried something like that only irritated him more. _I need to focus on soccer. If I keep this up I’ll end up chasing him down and slug him for pulling that crap. If I do that…I’ll end up hurting her. She’d definitely blame herself because I’d be kicked off the team again._  He looked down at his clenched fist but stood at the shout of his name as they were split into teams for a practice match to his relief. He lacked any trust in himself. There was one this thing he was resolute on, he would keep her safe from now on.


	51. Old Friend

A few days passed and it was the same, Terry sat with Rei reading books and having general laughter. A week passed and there still was no change, however there was not talk about the mystery either. The days passed and Terry had not picked up on the search once more. Rei had noticed and at first was worried but her usual cheer had thrown her off. Atem noticed the lack of drive on her end, noting the subtle change in her and he was not happy about it. He tried his best to make it work, but nothing worked. She kept up the act of being normal.

The anxiety of being in a similar situation again loomed heavy over her head, dampening her mood. She refused to let it get to her completely, keeping her usual energy up for her friends and father. Aslan was hardly fooled by this, able to see something was troubling his daughter. It made him wonder if it was something a mother or sister would be able to help her with and the lack of her having one made him feel a tad guilty.

"Ter-bear, you know you can speak to me about anything right?" He spoke up one night, Jonouchi out on a trip with the football (soccer) team.

"Huh? Yeah, I know." She brightly smiled at her father. "What has you saying that all of the sudden though?" She frowned at the sudden choice of topic.

"I think you know very well why I'm saying it," he sighed and placed his hand on her head in a comforting manner. The weight of his large calloused hand bringing her security. "I've noticed for a while now that you've been a little out of it. Did something happen-no, what did happen?"

Terry stared at her father, tense and worried that if she told him he would take her out of school or cause a scene. She thought she was doing well on hiding her worries, but now it was clear her father had noticed for some time now. She pursed her lips as she thought over what words to use, not wanting to worry him more but not wanting to brush him off either.

"Something happened at school…I know I should be used to the dynamics by now, but there's a bunch of things that keep popping up and I'm just…I feel like I'm lacking in some ways." She sighed, just letting the words come as they may. "I don't regret my life, I'm happy we travelled so much and I'm happy you brought me back to have one year of school like an ordinary student. I'm learning a lot and I've made a bunch of friends. I just…I'm just trying to navigate through something that was a little too left field for me. Does that make sense?"

 _Is this her roundabout way of saying boy troubles?_  Aslan wondered as he observed his daughter carefully to see if there were some clues he could find in her behavior.  _That would be a sister or mother topic._  He frowned a little to himself as he crossed his arms. "Well, whatever happened…you should definitely think through it before you do anything. It, many things will happen in life that we just don't know what to do…but so long as you keep honest to yourself you should be fine. Remember, you aren't alone. People deal with this sort of thing all the time. You don't need to worry too much about it." He said after a moment of trying to be vague enough so that she did not feel embarrassed.  _She doesn't want me to know because I'm her dad and I knew this day would come._  "You can ask your friends for help and me, though you'll probably feel more comfortable with them at this moment."

"I don't want to worry anyone though." She frowned visibly as she glared at the table.

"People worry because they care. That's something you need to start to realize Terry. Just like how I love you, your friends love you as well. Just like how I'm glad when you come to me for help, they'll be just as happy to help you as well. If you come to them in need of help, they feel happy. Don't you feel happy when I ask you to help me? Why wouldn't it be the other way as well?" He pointed out to her. Terry thought over this for a moment, realizing the point and feeling a little foolish for not saying anything to anyone before.

"I'm sorry…I should've said something sooner." She mumbled, shoulder slumped. Aslan chuckled softly as he pulled his daughter into his arms.

"Now, now, there's no need to apologize. This is when you say, 'thank you for listening' or 'thank you for helping me'. Apologizing just makes the other party feel troubled." He ruffled her hair a bit until she began to smile. "That's my girl, now on to the next topic. We have guest coming over to dinner tonight so go get washed up. The foods already done. I'm going to go get changed as well." He stood from his seat and pat Terry's shoulder to do the same. "They should be here in about thirty or so minutes."

"Guests? That'd explain why you had us make so much food…huh. Alright, I'll go get ready."

Just as Aslan had said, the doorbell chimed in roughly thirty minutes. Terry shouted that she would get it as she hopped down the steps. "Good eve-Marik?!" Terry gaped as she opened the door. There stood her friend from Egypt with his family. "Ishizu and Rishid too! I, what are you guys doing here?"

"Marik was selected to be a transfer student from his school and we found out through talking with you father that the school he's transferring to is yours." Ishizu answered as she pulled the shocked Terry into a hug who happily reciprocated the hug and hugged the other two as well.

"That's amazing! My dad didn't say a single thing though!" She puffed her cheeks as she turned to look at her father who was now standing behind her.

"You've been so out of it, I thought you may be a little homesick and this was a surprise that just fell on my lap." He laughed, patting her head before he greeted their guests and motioned for them to come in. Closing the door behind them, they lead the Ishtars into the house towards the living room.

"I told him to keep a secret since I knew you were a bit off." Marik said vaguely enough, the only one who knew anything outside of Rei and Atem. "What, not happy that I'm here?" He laughed as he noted she was still pouting.

"Of course, I'm happy you're here! Ugh, I wish you told me though!" She whacked his arm lightly before they all sat and talked about their travels and what Marik should expect in the school. The time passes quickly and soon enough they were all happily chatting some more over the home cooked food that was a mix of Arabian and Japanese foods.

"It's great that you both found jobs here in the mean time! Where will you be staying?" Terry asked, looking between everyone.

"Well, they'll be staying here with us. We have more than enough room since my job got us quite a large house." Aslan answered which Terry grinned with glee.

"That's so great! Oh, you'll get to meet Joey soon! He lives here with us right now too but he's out for football (soccer)." Terry frowned.

"Oh, that's too bad. I really wanted to meet him." Marik frowned a little at this. "But he'll be back soon so that's probably better for me since I'll be jetlagged for sure."

"You better get yourself sleeping as soon as we're done here. You have school starting tomorrow with Terry." Ishizu sternly spoke to Marik who grumbled a little at the babying.

"I know, I know…geez! Oh, I'm in your class too it seems! The school had said that I'm not the only person from Egypt in class and I figured that had to be you!"

"That is definitely me! That's great! I'll help you out with whatever you don't get!" She grinned, the worries from earlier long gone as her attention was now focused on her old friends now house guests.

* * *

 

The night passed quickly with little trouble, the Ishtars settled into their rooms. The next morning Terry walks out the door with Marik towards the train, a text from Joey stating that he would be home tonight and that he crashed at Atem's since they came so late. Marik stared at everything as they passed, taking in all the differences and asking questions galore. They spoke Arabic for the time being, practicing his Japanese a little though he was good enough in it.

"Hey, Terry!" Jonouchi shouted and waved to her as Atem walked over. He stopped at the sight of Marik, raising a brow at him.

"Oh, hey guys! I'd like to introduce my friend Marik! Him and his family housed us while we were in his village. Marik, meet Jonouchi and Atem." She motioned to each before turning to them both. Atem noticed her smile was genuine and any worry that had been there was nowhere in sight. He frowned a little from the fact that has unable to bring it back, but was glad it was back all the same. They exchange some simple greetings before stepping on to the train. It was a little awkward at first, but soon enough the boys were lost in some conversation about sports and things with Terry silently listening as she made sure they reached school on time. The conversation is cut short as Marik is made to introduce himself as Terry had and was assigned a seat next to Rei.


	52. Lucky Strike

            Rei sat in class waiting for Terry to arrive. She had spoken to Sakura and Hikaru about the issue at great length, unsure of what to do to help their new friend. They were able to give her some sound advice and she came to the conclusion that she should at least talk to her, more so get Terry to talk to her. She stood from her seat at the sound of Terry’s voice, but stood frozen at the sight of the new classmate next to her. He was dressed in the school uniform but she had never seen him before in her life.

            _But damn, he’s hot! Shit, looking that good should be illegal!_ She thought to herself as she ogled the tall, dark, and handsome mystery that was standing with Terry. _Maybe he’s with another class? Is he on the team?_ She noted how friendly Atem and Jonouchi were with the stranger. _Damn, maybe I should join the team just to meet someone!_ She laughed at herself, it rare for her to be so smitten by someone for looks alone. She sat back down in her seat and waited for him to leave so she could grab Terry’s attention.

            He stayed until the teacher came and introduced himself to the class, leaving Rei a bit shocked and speechless still.

            “It’s a pleasure to meet you all, my name is Marik Ishtar. I’m the exchange student from Egypt. I’ll be spending the remainder of the school year here with you all.” He smiled at the class., glancing around to see where his seat would be, catching the eyes of Anzu and Kyohei who looked to one another. Anzu leaned forward, exposing some of her cleavage to him as she batted her lashes at him. _I’m sure that’s the chick bugging Terry. She’s definitely as easy as I thought she would be. I don’t know if I should be disgusted or concerned that she’s taken an interest in me._ He barely even gave her a second glace after a quick once over as he looked dead at Terry. _You woman, are a magnet for trouble!_ He scowled at her a bit and she sheepishly shrugged her shoulders as he shook his head. _Hopefully my seat isn’t anywhere near her, sorry Terry but I rather not get jumped by the likes of her._

            “Your seat will be next to Kitaoji Rei, please stand Kitaoji.” The teacher spoke, Rei quickly standing at the call of her name. She glanced at the desk which was suddenly empty. Another student was there a few days ago, she had thought she was home sick or something. Her guess was clearly wrong. Marik looked towards the student who stood and smirked a little to himself.

            _Well damn, she’s cute. Way better seat than I was expecting. I’m not complaining, better get moving before they think I want a different seat._ He quickly started to walk towards Rei. He passed by Terry, exchanging a quick fist bump. “See you at lunch?” He spoke to her in Arabic to which she nodded her head. “You’re insane for wanting to jump in the lion’s den like you did! I don’t envy you at all. I’m more than happy with my seat.” He accidentally knocked his bag in to Kyohei who growled and tried to push Marik but it barely made him move.

            “Yeah, yeah! You can lecture me later coward!” She spoke back in Arabic. “I’ll see you at lunch. Rei’s nice, you’re in good hands.”

            “You love me.” He chuckled and turned to Kyohei, the mirth gone as he coldly looked down at him before he resumed the rest of the distance, looking up at Rei to make sure he does not knock in to anyone.

            _Oh man, I’m going to be sitting next to him? Talk about luck!_ She mentally cheered though she kept a composed outward appearance as she smiled at Marik who flashed her a grin which sent her heart racing in an instant. _He needs to be labeled a health hazard for being so damn good looking!_ She placed a hand against her chest as she took a deep breath to calm her heart. Taking her seat, she turned to him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, you can just call me Rei. Do you have the books for school yet or do you need to share with me?” She found herself pleading with the universe that he was without books for today at the least.

            “I actually get them after school today and you can just call me Marik.” He grinned, setting his bag to the side. “Should I move my desk next to yours?” He asked, not sure if that would be allowed or not.

            “Oh yeah, that would be best I think.” She nodded, dancing with glee inside as he moved closer and she set the book between them so they both could read. Her arm brushed his and she felt her heart start pounding again. _Damn, he’s solid!_  She glanced at the sleeve of his uniform that pulled taught around his bicep. They were so close, she could smell his cologne. It was nice, a little spicy with cinnamon but mostly earthy. _I will never complain about school ever again!_ She pointed to where they were in class and clarified to him about what they were doing in the next few classes. “So, do you know Terry?” She whispered, recalling he had walked in with her.

            “Terry? Yeah, she lived with me and my family in Egypt.” He nodded his head. “I didn’t tell her I was selected for the transfer program though so she didn’t know until last night.” He chuckled. “The look on her face was priceless! She’s told me about you and the others. It’s great to finally put the faces to the names and meet you all.”

            “Oh? I hope she’s only said good things though.” She joked with him. “I only recently started talking to her though, so I can’t say much but she’s a great friend.” She nodded her head. “I hope we can become friends too.”

            “I hope so too.” He smiled at her, his eyes flickering with something as he looked her over once again. _Cute and nice? Thank you, Terry, for meeting someone normal!_ He turned his attention to the textbook they were sharing as the teacher began to start class after the greeting. _I was nervous about the exchange, but not it doesn’t seem so bad. I mean Terry was one big relief, but with those guys and now this stroke of luck I think I’ll be fine._


	53. Lunch Plans

            Kyohei glared at Marik’s back, beyond pissed by this newcomer’s audacity to even look at him in such a way. _Seems like foreigners just don’t know their fucking place, don’t worry…you’ll both learn soon enough._ He smirked to himself as class began. Anzu had seen the confidence and it put her at ease. She was afraid that he was getting too friendly with the thorn in their side and lost sight of what they were aiming for.

            _He knows what he’s doing, he’s no Yami._ She thought to herself, glancing at her ex who was far too comfortable without her. _Enjoy your fake fun while it lasts, I know what you really want and I’ll have you begging for it soon enough._ She leaned back in her seat as she filed her perfectly manicured nails. _All in due time._

            As classes went on, Marik shared books with Rei. She proved to be not only very pretty but smart as well. Though she did have trouble in math, she was good in literature. Her English was adorable to him, though his accent was mostly gone when speaking English thanks to all the time with Terry who could speak completely without an accent. He noticed her struggling with a question and simply circled the section where the first error was made and nothing more. He wanted to see how she handled herself.

            _I wonder if she’ll ask me or not without trying. There’s no harm in asking, but trying is the main part._ He hummed, resting his cheek in his hand as he watched her. It was quite the adorable sight. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she had perpetual scowl on her lips that only varied to a pout every now and again. The determination was there though and that only made it cuter.

            Rei looked at the circled portion, blinking in confusion as she turned to look at him to see what he meant. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest at the sight of him smiling and watching her. Her cheeks instantly burned with a blush which she quickly hid by turning her attention back to the worksheet in hand.

            _What are you doing just sitting and staring at me like that? So straightforward!_ She found herself flustered by the difference in his attitude from the usual guys she dealt with in class. _Ok, ok! Pay attention to your work Rei! Just, just ignore him as best you can! Ignore the utterly hot and sexy foreigner who is literally centimeters away staring at you with his beautiful lavender ey-hey! **No, bad Rei!**_ She scolded herself. _Why did he circle this though?_ She wondered, focusing on her work again after a good scolding. The gears in her head reluctantly turned back to the work and slowly it began to click.

            Marik noted the sudden blush on her face, stifling his chuckle when she suddenly turned away. She was far too obvious on how he got to her, but he liked that honesty. It was refreshing. He smiled to himself as she erased her work and began to edit where the mistake was as she glanced between the text and the assignment. She clearly realized her mistake so there was no point in doing more. His assignment was already done, math one of his favorite subjects.

            By the end of class, they all had handed in their assignments and they were free to prepare for lunch. Terry left her seat, walking to Marik and Rei.

            “Hey, how’s your first day so far?” She smiled at the two.

            “It’s been great, I got to sit next to such a lovely classmate. I feel welcomed and right at home.” He turned to Rei, winking at her which sent her heart all a flutter.

            “I’m glad I could make your first day so comfortable! It can be a bit nerve wracking going to a new school in another district. I can’t even imagine how tough it would be going abroad!” Rei smiled at Marik, resigned to the fact that her blush would be stuck there for the rest of her day.

As the three of them talked and laughed, Atem watched and felt a pang of something in his chest. It was a feeling he thought he would never feel again, and yet here it was. Resting a hand on his chest, he frowned to himself, glancing over at Terry but is surprised to see she was looking right at him. She frowned a little and that confused him. When she pointed to her chest he frowned in confusion as well when he looked down and saw he was clutching his shirt. Quickly he released his clothes and waved it off as nothing, but she was not so convinced. He quickly turned away, not wanting her to see how flustered he was from the small interaction.

“I’m going to go check on Atem, you guys want to have lunch together? We usually have it on the roof. I think it’ll be a lot of fun with everyone.” She offered to them.

“Sure, why not? It sounds like fun and a little fresh air would be good. I’m not used to being so cooped up!” Marik stretched a bit, a few pops in his back proving that he was a bit stiff in the desk. He turned to Rei at this moment, awaiting her answer. Terry looked to her as well.

“You want me to join you? A-are you sure? I mean you guys don’t want some time alone or anything?” She asked, nervous and worried that maybe Terry and Marik may have more than they let on. She rather this be clear now before she even dived into interest. She would never want to hurt her friends.

“Huh? He lives with me; we have more than enough time to be jerks to each other. With you around he might behave some and not put me in a headlock!” She stuck her tongue out at Marik who feigned innocence.

“She’s clearly just trying to make me look bad in front of you. I assure you I’m quite respectful of women. My older sister taught me as such.” He turned to Rei. “So, please join us. I’d love to get to know more about the school and I was hoping you’d keep helping me.” He smiled charmingly at her, Terry rolling her eyes at his attempt to clear himself of anything negative. “Plus, Terry’s one of the guys so anything we do is harmless fun.” He added.

“And there it is, the truth that you do act mean to me.” She flicked his forehead to which he jokingly bit at her fingers. Rei watched the two and found herself at ease with the truth and utterly entertained by the banter between them. Her laughter caught their attention as they turned to her and then to one another.

            “Look what you did now, you got her laughing at me!” Marik huffed.

            “Me? You did that all on your own! Don’t blame me if you’re not as cool as you’re trying to act!” Terry scowled. “She’s my partner in my mystery solving, no stealing her!”

            “Oh geez, now children!” Rei laughed, patting Terry on the head as she puffed her cheeks. “Weren’t you going to check on Atem? I’ll bring Marik to the rooftop ok?”

            “Oh, yes! Thanks, I’ll see you guys there!” She quickly left the two and a bit panicked as she saw his head down. She crouched in front of his desk, knocking lightly on it. “Hey, are you ok?” She asked softly, biting at her lower lip as she worried that he may be unwell. _He would’ve gone to the nurse’s, right? Maybe he’s just exhausted from the trip. Joey looked pretty out of it too._ She looked over at the blond. “Is he ok?” She whispered.

            “I, he was fine during class. I mean this morning he was fine too. He just kinda put his head down.” Jonouchi answered, scratching his head. “Yo, Atem! You’re worrying Terry! You ok?” Atem quickly sat up at the sound of her name, he had been so lost in his own thoughts that he had not realized anything else around him. His azure eyes quickly locked with her grey-blue eyes, not expecting her to be so close he jumped back in his seat and sat up straight.

            “Shit, why are you so close?” He scowled. “Shit, no! I mean I’m fine. You don’t have to worry.” He quickly fixed his words, realizing he was snapping at her for no reason. She was unfazed by the behavior though, her sincere smile still on her lips.

            “Oh good, I was worried. You seemed hurt, I’m glad I was wrong.” She sighed with relief. “Before I forget though, would you like to have lunch together? With everyone that is. I want you to meet Marik. He’s my friend from Egypt. Takes it upon himself to be my older brother of sorts…kinda like Joey.”

            “H-hey, I am the older older brother!” Jonouchi scowled at this news.

            “You both are the same age, you fight it out with him or consider yourselves twins. Either way, you both are way too alike at times.” She laughed. “I’m grateful to you both.” She added, Jonouchi puffing his chest with pride at her gratitude. Atem snorted at how easily he was assuaged by her words.

            “So, you aren’t going to the library?” He asked.

            “No, not today. I wanted to introduce everyone to each other. Plus, I guess I just need a break from the whole find out who did situation.” She said with a troubled smile. “That’s not a problem for you right? I mean, you don’t mind having lunch together again?”

            “What’s gotten in to you? So timid and shy…you ok?” He teased her as he placed a hand on her forehead. “I guess you can be cute and girly too.” He snickered as she scowled and swatted his hand away.

            “I’m trying to be nice here!” She puffed her cheeks at him.

            “Yeah? Just be you with me. You don’t have to be so formal or awkward…just be like you always were with me. You weren’t one for formalities before.” He softly spoke, his smile leaving her a little speechless as he moved some hair from her face. Her chest tightened a little at his touch, but she had no idea why. Clearing her throat, she stood up and patted her skirt.

            “Well then, if that’s the case we’re having lunch on the rooftop, c’mon!” She grinned and grabbed his hand. Tugging him along, she motioned Jonouchi to follow who gathered the others. She waved at Rei to come as well, Marik waving back as he stood from his seat as he saw the group all get up. Offering a hand to Rei, he helped her out of her seat like a gentleman and walked out the classroom with her behind the others.

            “O-oi, you don’t have to yank me around like that!” He huffed, quickly matching her step as he tugged his wrist free from her grasp. They had left before the others, so they walked the halls alone. People watched the two as they walked down the halls, it now a more common sight to see but one they had not seen in some time. He had also made quite the name for himself in soccer, so everyone found him a lot easier to look at or approach. The fear of facing his ire a thing of the past.

            “I wasn’t pulling that hard, you have long arms!” She rolled her eyes at his complaining, but did observe him a bit to see if she had hurt him. “Seems like people really aren’t as afraid of you as they used to be.” She noted as they walked up the stairwell that led to the roof.

            “Yeah, whose fault is that? An oblivious new student glued herself to me. Now I’m so used to her around and she’s a magnet for trouble, not having her around is troubling.” He chuckled, tapping his knuckle lightly on her head. “She’s stuck with me anyone…she promised to take responsibility.”

            “I did and I plan to keep my word!” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Do I really cause that much trouble though?” She laughed, but before he could answer the door to the roof swung open and nearly hit her, causing her to lose her footing and fall back. Luckily Atem had noticed and quickly pulled her towards him and grabbed the railing as he slipped down a few steps with her.

            “Does that answer your question?” He weakly chuckled, though there was a sharp pain in his arm from the sudden tug from the fall. She opened her mouth to speak, carefully trying to regain some footing but another voice spoke over hers.

            “Oh? What’s this?” A familiar voice spoke from just above them and Atem looked up to see Kyohei, clearly displeased by something. A low growl rumbled in his chest at the sight of the raven-haired classmate. “Funny meeting you two here…going off on some secret tryst?” He asked, eyeing Terry a bit. She glared back at him, taking a step towards him to confront him but she was pulled backwards and she found herself against Atem’s chest.

            “None of your damn business what we do or don’t do. Fuck off and leave her the fuck alone. Whatever shit you’re doing deals with me, so how about you quit being an ass and deal with me directly?” Atem bluntly spoke, Kyohei startled by this sudden courage. The shock was short lived as a smirk spread wide on his handsome features.

            “Is that so? Finally done hiding behind her skirt? Fine by me, I’ll deal with you.” His eyes narrowed with a glare of his own as the two looked at one another. “I’ll see you later Terry.” Kyohei shifted his gaze to her, the look making her skin crawl. She showed him no reaction though.

            “Not like I have a choice since we’re in the same class.” She flatly responded as he stepped down towards them. Before he could come close enough to even brush passed her, she felt her body squeeze more against Atem as he put his body between them. Kyohei clicked his tongue at the block, but kept his gaze locked with her.

            “I wasn’t talking about class, but you’ll see soon enough.” He licked his lips as he eyed hers. “You’ll remember soon enough.” With those odd words he left. She and Atem looked to one another, confused and concerned by what he as implying. She could see he was as lost as she was.

            “He’s trying to psych me out or something. Probably another stupid thing him and Anzu came up with.” She brushed off, Atem silent as he held her tight to his chest. It was only then that she realized she was shaking a little. She tried to laugh it off but one look from Atem had her silent.

“Quit acting so damn brave and just lean on me already! I’m here, aren’t I? I won’t let anything happen to you.” He whispered the last words into her hair and felt her body relax against him. A small smile tugged at his lips as he rubbed her back and let her take time to settle her nerves. Before either could say or do more there was an uproar of sudden sound.

            “Way to go, get it!” Honda shouted.

            “Oi, what are you doing to her?!” Marik and Jonouchi both shouted at once as Rei and Minako just laughed at the varying reactions.

            “I’m not doing anything except keeping her from falling down the steps! Calm your shit!” He scowled at her two surrogate brothers. “You both should know her knack for attracting trouble.” They two looked to one another before silently nodding and mumbling some agreement as they listed the various instances she had given them panic attacks and heart problems. “See? So, before you go thinking shit, actually think!” He grumbled, hooking one arm under her knees he scooped her up.

“No fighting or I’ll drop your ass or we’ll both end up falling down these stairs and possibly knock down everyone behind us.” He gave her a stern look before walking up the steps once more. She smiled a little to herself as she recalled he had said the same thing when he took her to her room when she was sick.

“Ever the gentleman.” She laughed, letting him carry her up and out on to the roof.


	54. After School Plans

            Lunch had gone smoothly, everyone laughing and chatting about everything and anything. The boys argued over sports teams and games, frequently worrying the girls at how heated they would get from time to time. It was a miracle that no one had started an actual fist fight, but what was most surprising was them getting along so well as if there was no argument to begin with. Terry enjoyed watching her two worlds melding together, relieved there was no troubling friction. No matter how happy the situation though, in the back of her mind lingered Kyohei’s unnerving attention and her own unsolved mystery.

            _There’s no point worrying over him too much…he hasn’t actually done anything to me as of yet. He probably just knows and is pulling what Kaiba did about the kiss. It’s a bluff he’s trying to use as leverage. If I don’t bite, there’s nothing he can do, I just need to focus on finding out who did it before he tries anything._ She slowly chewed her food, her eyes casted up at the calming blue sky. The commotion from the boys easily grabbed the girls’ attention, giving Terry time to think over what she knew and figure out what needed to be done.

            At the sound of the bell, they all began to clean up and get ready for class. Marik took the chance to help Rei up on to her feet and took the trash she had gathered with a wink which easily silenced any of her protesting. Her cheeks burned red at how forward he was, not used to such behavior but she was not offended, in fact she liked it a lot. Terry had noted his antics, rolling her eyes at his obvious flirting with Rei. He was no playboy, but if he liked someone he tended to go for it with no regrets. She smiled a little to herself at the honest personality, snickering at some of the trouble it caused them growing up.

            “What’s so funny?” Atem’s voice quickly pulled her out of memory lane.

            “Oh, I was just remembering how Marik’s antics used to get us in trouble back in Egypt. I wasn’t really any innocent either to be fair, I’m sure if you asked him he’d say I have the greater tally.” She shrugged.

            “I’d believe him,” Atem snorted. “After all the shit you’ve pulled in the months you’ve been here…I’d actually back up his claims. You stick your nose in others’ business, try to set records straight, don’t take any hints, and just run…all the damn running!” He sighed as he remembered all the times he had seen her run and times she had dragged him along with her.

            “I’m not running around **that** much!” She scowled at the accusation, elbowing him lightly as they bring up the tail end of the train of friends heading back to class.

            “Oh yeah? The time you raced my ex, the time you saved Yugi, the time you fell sick in P.E., the time we met up in the morning and headed to school together, and the time at the library? There are plenty more times I can mention too and I’m damn sure Joey and Marik can add a shit ton more!” He scoffed and counted out the major events.

            “Ok, ok! I get it, I run! No need to be so mean!” She pouted a little at first but broke out into a laugh. “Running is fun though, you have to admit that!”

            “Running when you want to, yeah. Running ‘cause your life depends on it, not so much.” He clarified, poking the side of her head. “ **You** have me running in a panic, not for fun!”

            “Well, I’m used to a lot running.” She shrugged off the comment with a bright smile as they all filed back into class and took their seats for the next class. To her luck, Anzu and Kyohei had bailed again for the afternoon classes it seems and the time went by without any trouble. When the final bell rang and everyone started to gather their things to go home or head to their clubs, the group met up at Jonouchi and Atem’s desks.

            “So, you both have club, right?” Marik asked the two.

            “Yeah, we’re usually done within an hour or so. I dunno if you wanna wait for us or maybe Terry can just take you back home and I can see you there?” Jonouchi offered him, not wanting to force Marik to wait with Terry.

            “Oh yeah, I can take you back if you want.” Terry nodded, though her gaze fell on Atem if only for a second.

            “Oh, I have to head to the main office to grab my books and such anyway.” Marik shook his head.

            _Oh, if he must stay after anyway maybe I can show him around the campus a bit too. That way he won’t get lost when walking around on his own._ “That’s right, so you’ll be staying here for a bit anyway.” Terry nodded her head and looked to Rei as she joined them. “Are you staying after again?”

            “Sakura and Hikaru just went off to their clubs, so yeah. Want to go to the library as usual?” She offered, though she is worried how Terry may react to the suggestion. She watched her friend carefully for any signs of distress but is relieved to not see any.

            _So, she’s staying too huh? Well that changes everything._ She slyly grinned to herself. “Sure, we can…but, Marik here needs to head to the main office.” Terry placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a light squeeze. Marik saw the smile grow on her face and his eyes narrowed with suspicion. She was planning something and he had no idea if he should be wary of it.

            “Oh? Wait, I know this already!” She lightly hit her head and laughed at her forgetting this little bit of information. “You were telling me this just this morning!”

            “So, you know, that’s good! Since you’re here and he’s here, why don’t you show him the way to the main office and actually why not show him around the school a bit too? I mean there’s no better time than, now right? No class times to worry about and you’re waiting after school already.” She offered, Rei a bit surprised by this sudden idea. Her cheeks turned a soft pink as she looked to Marik.

            “You don’t mind, do you?”

            _Oh, you sly, sly woman you! You’re getting me time alone with Rei, which I don’t mind at all. This is one of your plans I give my one hundred percent approval._ He smiled at Rei when she looked at him. “Not at all, I couldn’t ask for a better guide than the lovely classmate whose been helping me in all my classes. Shall we?” He offered her his hand and she shyly took it. Her face only grew redder as he pressed his lips to her knuckles and walked out of the classroom with her. The guys gaped at the turn of events, Terry unfazed by it though he snickered at how red Rei got.

            “No shame on that guy, I swear!” Jonouchi fumed, embarrassed by the display himself. “Doing things like that with someone he just met! Did he ever do that to you? If he did, I’m going to kick his ass!”

            “We met as kids Joey, there’s no way he’d do any of that back then and even now. We grew up like siblings practically, I don’t even think we could act it out without being grossed out or laughing at how ridiculous the other is being.” Terry laughed, calming him down though unknown to her she had calmed Atem as well. “Besides, aren’t you two running late to practice? Coach is gonna make you run if you are.”

            “Oh shit, you’re right!” Joey glanced at the clock. “We better get going,” he looked to Atem.

            “Yeah, you go on ahead. I just gotta check on something.”

            “Sure, I’ll let coach know.” He nodded and left the now empty classroom, the only two left inside being Atem and Terry.

            “Is there anything I can help you with so you don’t run late to practice?” Terry offered, curious as to why he was still there. He looked to have had everything packed as is.

            “Tomorrow after school, come over to my place.” He suddenly blurted out, Terry a bit startled by the sudden statement. She looked at him a bit curiously though, noting a slight redness on the tops of his cheeks as he continued to speak. “It’s not for me or anything, Yugi really misses you and wants to see you again. He keeps talking about you to mom too so now she wants to meet you too. Gramps is gonna be there, but I’ll keep him in line like last time. So…yeah, come over.”

            “Is that a request or a command?” She finally spoke up as she saw the tips of his ears go red. She bit down on her lower lip to stop the laugh that threatened to come out, a feeling of happy warmth slowly replacing all the uneasy she had been feeling of late.

            “Cheeky as always I see.” He rolled his eyes at her, but gave a small smirk. “You should know by now I don’t do requests.”

            “Demanding as always I see.” She playfully through the statement back at him. “I don’t mind coming over though, I just need to let my dad know. He won’t mind I’m sure and if it gets too late he’ll probably send Marik and or Joey to come get me to avoid any night trouble. You don’t mind me coming over though, right? I mean going to meet Yugi and your mom, I can see them when you’re out so I don’t bother you.”

            “When have you ever cared about not bothering me?” He flicked her forehead. “You barged your way into my life. Not having you around is more trouble than having you around. If I really didn’t want you around, I wouldn’t have sat there bored in a library while you read.”

            “This is very true, well if you don’t mind then and father permitting I’d love to come over for dinner.” She smiled as she rubbed the spot he flicked when she felt the weight of his warm hand on her head and saw a rare genuine smile on his lips.

            “Of course, I don’t mind, idiot. I don’t have practice tomorrow so I can come get you your place to show you the way over.”

            “Sounds like a plan.” She nodded with an excited grin, his hand slipping down to cup her cheek. Her heart jumped a little at the shift in touch, her eyes finding his to figure out what is going on. The sudden seriousness in his gaze left her frozen where she stood. _Atem?_ She blinked as his face came closer to hers and his lips pressed firmly to her forehead.

            “You’re finally smiling properly again…I was worried.” He whispered, against her skin. The light grazing making her nerves jump but her mind quickly grasps a hold of his words. He was worried about her much like everyone else, but the fact he was so worried made her gut twist a little.

            “I’m sorry, I’m better now…honest. Just, the whole Kaiba thing really threw me for a loop you know?” She softly spoke, placing a hand over the one that held her cheek. “Thank you, for caring about me.” She moved her head back so she could properly look at him and give him a sincere smile of gratitude.

            “Least I can do for all the shit you put up with me.” He chuckled lightly and stepped back. A peaceful silence hung between them when the sound of a whistle made her look at the clock.

            “You’re gonna be late for practice, you better hurry up!”

            “Huh, oh yeah. I’m heading off…why don’t you come watch? Unless you want to read?” Terry chewed at her lower lip at the offer to watch. She really wanted to get over her worries with the library but she did want to watch his practice as well. “I’ll come watch, I just need to return some books actually so I’ll come right after ok?”

            “Alright, see you there.” He nodded, grabbing his bag and heading to the left while Terry turned right and did as she said she would.

            Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the threshold and looked at the familiar room. She headed straight for the desk and placed them on the desk, grabbing Seto’s attention. He is surprised by the smile she gives him, expecting her to hate or fear him.

            “I’m returning these books. I’m going to grab a few to check out though ok?” She asked, though she knew he would not respond. Not minding his bewildered look, she left to go search the aisles as Seto set to checking the books back in the system. When she came back, he watched her curiously and noted no signs of fidgeting. “I’m not afraid of you…and I don’t hate you. You did what you did, but you didn’t end up doing anything when you think about it since Atem stopped you.” She suddenly spoke up, but kept her voice low so no one heard. “Don’t over think it ok? I won’t bother you about who also, I’m sure I’ll figure it out on my own. Thanks for the books.” She took the books and left the room, leaving a stunned and utterly confused Seto once again.


	55. Oh Brothers

            The classroom was quiet as they stood there. He glanced at her a few times as he absentmindedly checked and rechecked the books in bag. _Why is it so hard, just fucking ask her already!_ He scolded himself, squaring his shoulders. _It’s just something minor and stupid, what’s the worst that can happen-no, don’t fucking thing about it!_ He scolded himself. _Awe, but why not? You know it’s more likely to happen than what you hope? A useless pile of shit like you isn’t worth someone like her._ That ever-persistent voice hissed in the back of his mind.

            “Is there anything I can help you with, so you don’t run late to practice?” Terry offered, her voice like the first rays of sun piercing through the darkness of clouds, pulling him out of the vicious cycle of self-deprecation.

            “Tomorrow after school, come over to my place.” He suddenly blurted out. It was obvious it was completely unexpected from how she raised her brows. The cute look of confusion was not helping his nerves at all. _Don’t look at me like that right now dammit! I’ll end up saying something stupid! Why are you so damn cute?!_ He felt the tips of his ears start to heat up, trying to hide the blush from his cheeks. “It’s not for me or anything, Yugi really misses you and wants to see you again. He keeps talking about you to mom too so now she wants to meet you too. Gramps is gonna be there, but I’ll keep him in line like last time. So…yeah, come over.” There was a moment of silence, but it felt like an eternity as he felt her examine him. Those ever-observant eyes that he wished would see him instead of studying him. Unable to keep her gaze he looked down at his bag.

            “Is that a request or a command?” She finally spoke up and he looked up to see her bite at her lower lip. The simple act had his heart pumping faster. She was laughing at him and all he wanted to do was punish her lips for teasing him. He let it slide though, seeing her genuinely herself was worth so much more to him.

            _Ha, look at me…wrapped around her finger and she really doesn’t have a fucking clue._ “Cheeky as always I see.” He rolled his eyes at her, but gave a small smirk. “You should know by now I don’t do requests.”

            “Demanding as always I see.” She playfully threw the statement back at him. “I don’t mind coming over though, I just need to let my dad know. He won’t mind I’m sure and if it gets too late he’ll probably send Marik and or Joey to come get me to avoid any night trouble. You don’t mind me coming over though, right? I mean going to meet Yugi and your mom, I can see them when you’re out, so I don’t bother you.” He nodded in agreement at her words, approving of the plan when she suddenly spoke up about the visit.

            _Wait, what? Why wouldn’t I want to be there when you come over? Seriously?! You put **that** much stock into it? I swear…you’re slowly trying to kill me. _ “When have you ever cared about not bothering me?” He flicked her forehead. “You barged your way into my life. Not having you around is more trouble than having you around. If I really didn’t want you around, I wouldn’t have sat there bored in a library while you read.”

            “This is very true, well if you don’t mind then and father permitting I’d love to come over for dinner.” She smiled as she rubbed the spot he flicked, the warmth was back in her smile and it eased his worries. Resting his hand atop her head, he stepped closer to her.

            “Of course, I don’t mind, idiot. I don’t have practice tomorrow so I can come get you your place to show you the way over.” He spoke a little softer.

            “Sounds like a plan.” He slid his hand down to cup her cheek as she looked up at him with such a vibrant grin. It was such a relief to see her smiling comfortably again. It was not forced or tensed, which had been bothering him. He had no idea what he would have done to Seto if she continued to look so troubled. Leaning closer, he pressed his lips to her forehead.

            “You’re finally smiling properly again…I was worried.” He whispered, against her skin. _You look best with that foolish carefree smile._

            “I’m sorry, I’m better now…honest. Just, the whole Kaiba thing really threw me for a loop you know?” She softly spoke, placing a hand over the one that held her cheek. “Thank you, for caring about me.” She moved her head back so she could properly look at him and give him a sincere smile of gratitude.

            “Least I can do for all the shit you put up with me.” He chuckled lightly and stepped back. A peaceful silence hung between them when the sound of a whistle made her look at the clock.

            “You’re gonna be late for practice, you better hurry up!”

            “Huh, oh yeah. I’m heading off…why don’t you come watch? Unless you want to read?” Terry chewed at her lower lip at the offer to watch. He wondered what she was thinking about in that overactive and perceptive mind of hers. “I’ll come watch, I just need to return some books actually, so I’ll come right after ok?”

            _Library? Seto is there._ His jaw tensed at the thought of her going there alone. He wanted to say no and say she should just come with him, but he could tell by the resolve in her eyes she wanted to move forward. “Alright, see you there.” He nodded, grabbing his bag and heading to the left while Terry turned right and did as she said she would. Atem had turned to watch her disappear around the corner before he went to the locker room. He was on the field in no time, the coach not giving him any trouble thanks to Jonouchi. As much as he was worried about her going to the library, he was unable to ignore the pep in his step at the simple fact that she said yes. _It’s not a date you moron, you told her it’s for Yugi! You’re doing this to help her get back on her feet, just…dammit quit grinning!_

            “What has you in such a good mood?” He heard a familiar voice from behind him to see Jonouchi.

            “Nothing in particular,” he shrugged and forced a frown. It was a terrible attempt he gathered since Jonouchi just laughed at him. “The fuck you laughing at?!”

            “Your sad excuse of a frown, geez! Just be happy man, I don’t mind! I’m glad something has you chipper. Or should I say… **someone**?” He gave a sly grin as he leaned in closer to Atem who leaned away from the nosy blond.

            “The fuck you on? What makes you think this has to do with **someone or anything**?” He tried to throw him off course with harsh words. _Will you leave me alone, idiot! The hell you trying to do making a scene like this?!_

“What? Yami likes someone? That’s new!” A teammate chimes in and soon the others circle around them. All of them chatter, poking and prodding him in amicable jest. He did not like this jest, though deep down there was a warmth in him he had forgotten about. The small hole in him started to fill without him realizing it.

            “I don’t like someone, Joey is just being an ass!” He huffed and pulled the troublemaker in a headlock. “Look what you did asshat!” He huffed, the tips of his ears red as he scowled to hide his blushing.

            “Ah, you’re blushing! I knew it! There is someone! I know who it is!” Jonouchi laughed and sang, though it a bit faltering from the headlock.

            “Oh, tell us! Tell us!” The others laugh and plead with the trapped blond.

            “C’mon Yami, we’re all bros, right?”

“Yeah, we’re a team!”

“We won’t screw this up for you! You can tell us!” They all genuinely grinned at him, leaving him a little dumbstruck. It was the opportune moment for Jonouchi to slip away and move just out of reach.

“Seriously, we’re on your side Yami.” He added, giving him a thumbs-up. A swell of warmth filled his chest, but he hid it away, frightened by the feeling and the acceptance.

“It’s the new girl, right? Terry? It has to be!” Someone says.

“Oh yeah, totally has to be! Damn, you’re so lucky! She’s good looking!”

“What, no way! Man, I was hoping to ask her out…but if you’re seriously into her I wouldn’t do that to a teammate yo.” One by one they chimed in, Atem unable to really refute or verify their assumption.

 _Wait, don’t just, fuck! All of you need to just-what?!_ He turned to the guy who said he wanted to ask her out and scowled at him. “Yeah, you better stay away!” He huffed, everyone falling silent at his sudden outburst in all this before cheering loudly and giving heavy thumps of encouragement on his back to go with their words.

“I knew it…well, if you need help lemme know ok? I mean she’s a sister to me so who better to ask than a brother? With that said though, being her brother, I will kick your ass if you hurt her.” Jonouchi went from a grinning to as serious glare in an instant as he looked Atem in the eyes.

“If…if she realizes how I feel and it all works out, yeah I’d never intentionally hurt her. I can’t say I won’t, I screw up all the fucking time with my words…but I know I’d do everything to make it better again. I don’t plan on standing around anymore.” He sternly spoke, keeping Jonouchi’s gaze without any sign of hesitance.

“Hey, don’t forget about me.” They all turned to see Marik nearby and walking closer. “I had a feeling you liked her from the way you were watching her…she, however perceptive she is, is blind to herself and knows nothing about romance. You not only have to deal with him, but with me as well if you hurt her. I don’t give a shit about customs, you hurt my family and I fuck you up plain and simple.” He said with an ever-present smile as he stood in front of Atem. “I’m a good judge of character though, I know you’re a good guy, so I don’t have anything serious to worry about.” He pat Atem on the shoulder.

“Heh, yeah you got nothing to worry about and even if you tried I’d kick your ass easy!” Atem scoffed, but it was obviously just light banter since Marik laughed it off.

“I like you, you’ve got guts. I think you two are good for each other, even if you end up just being friends. You balance each other well from what I know of you so far.”

“So, you have both our approval, don’t screw up!” Jonouchi grabbed Atem into a headlock for revenge’s sake.

“I didn’t plan on it! Lemme go moron!” He scowled when the coach blew his whistle.

“Alright breaks over, back to work!” He shouted.

“That’s my cue to leave…I’m gonna just take a seat over there and wait for you.” Marik turned to Jonouchi as he pointed to a nice shaded spot a good distance from the field. “But where’s Terry?”

“Alright, cool.” He nodded. “Uh, my guess is the library.”

“Terry’s coming to watch today. She needed to return some books, she should be here soon.” Atem answered calmly but was soon flustered as they two gave him identical teasing grins for knowing this bit of information. “Screw the both of you!” He flipped them both off and stomped ahead to the coach to hide how they got to him.

           

 


	56. Soccer Practice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the slight delay in updating, I had a bit of a block. To all my reviewers, thank you for sharing your interest. It really helped through it. Please enjoy the chapter.

Marik followed Rei out of the classroom, the two of them heading straight to the main office to get everything finalized and his needed books they had on hold for him. As this went on inside, Rei stood outside in the hall humming to herself. A smile was permanently stuck on her face as she thought over her luck for the day. She had pegged it as a bad day in all honesty. She had missed her alarm, fell out of bed, the water would not heat up at all when she tried to shower this morning, her toast got burnt, and she had almost spilled water on her homework she had spent a long time working on last night. No, today in her mind was labeled as a terrible day.

 _Though, now that I look at it, I guess all that negative was to balance out all this good huh? I mean I'm sitting next to the hot exchange student and Terry even knows him, so I can definitely get time to hang out with him eve after he no longer needs my help. He's really open too though. I mean he doesn't hide liking my company…._  She felt her cheeks heat up a little as she recalls all his flirting and the smiles. Oh, those smiles that just made her melt. She pressed her hands to her face to try and calm them a bit as she felt her smile grow at the thought.

"Did I miss something funny?" She jumped at the sound of the voice and turned to see Marik standing there.

"O-oh you're done! I didn't see you there!" She quickly answered, her face now red for a whole different reason.

"I noticed, I've been calling your name for a good two or three minutes now. You've just been standing there grinning and giggling. You looked so cute though, I didn't wanna interrupt you, but I figured us standing here would be a little awkward. I mean, I don't mind just watching you smile personally, I'm sure other people would talk though you know?" He chuckled.

Her face burned like lava as she was torn between melting at his sweet comment or just shrinking into nothing to hide from embarrassment. Marik watched as she fumbled to speak up, her head down as she cleared her throat and finally looked up at him again.

"You're totally right, people would say things." She agreed. "You shouldn't just say things like that so freely though, you'll give a girl the wrong idea!" She forced a scowl as she lightly whacked his arm as she finally got her heart to listen.

"Who says it's the wrong idea?" He raised a brow at her, smirking a little as she squeaked in response. The flushed red was a permanent attribute to her face as this moment as she stumbled for words once again.

"Y-you're so cruel! Saying things like that!" She forced herself to laugh off. "C'mon, let's get the tour going!" She turned on her heel to lead but he quickly grabbed her hand and turned her back around.

"I'm not being cruel, I'm being me. I don't hesitate, when I like someone I go for it. Keep that in mind hm?" He whispered in her ear before stepping back as someone comes out of the office. "So, how about that tour?" He asked before the staff member could question them. She quickly nodded her head and turned back around again to lead the way.

"Yes, let's get started!" She squeaked a bit as she walked forward but felt her arm tug a bit. Her heart jumped into her throat as she realized in her frenzy that he had not released her hand. Walking up next to her he turned to look at her with an innocent smile. She glared at him a little as she tried to still her beating her heart.  _So cruel!_  Instead of shaking his hand off, she held his back and led the way in hopes to throw him off. He was unfazed it seemed, actually he was quite pleased by her reaction and gave a light squeeze.

Though she rattled off the information of the school, she was unable to remember anything of it. They had started and stopped in what seemed like an eternity that ended far too quickly. She was a mess inside, worried that this was all some sort of trick but the entire time he had not let her hand go even once. Even no, at the end, he held on to her hand. She stood there, holding his hand back as she played his words over and over in her mind. It was all far too good to be true and she was uncertain if her heart could take it if this was all true.

"Thanks again for the tour Rei, it was really helpful. I'm glad I've such a lovely classmate to help me." He brought her hand to his lips once again, grazing his lips over her knuckles as her friends appeared around the corner. He noted them from the corner of his eyes but said nothing.

"Y-you're very welcome, I'm always willing to help you. D-don't hesitate to ask." She managed to stammer out, her heart hammering at her ribs as he held her transfixed with his lavender eyes.

"I'll keep you to that, sadly your friends are here and as much as I want to steal more time…it just means I can steal more tomorrow. See you in class." He winked at her before waving at her friends who failed at hiding behind the nearby lockers. He watched the three leave before making his way to the soccer field where he had seen the boys.

* * *

Seto stared at Terry as she handed him the books, that same smile plastered on her face as usual. She had been absent for a while now and he had been a bit restless by the sudden loss of her presence. It unnerved and irked him how this simpleton could worm her way so much in to his attention. To see her standing there now left him speechless. When she finally spoke to him, he found himself even more floored at the write off. He was sure girls freaked out over stuff like that, they freaked out even if he looked at them and yet here she was acting like nothing happened. He watched as she walked out with the new books in hand, staring at the door as he mulled over Terry.

 _What level of stupid is she? She makes no sense, she can't be that naïve. No one in this day is that…but she clearly is, what else could it be?_   _Is this what gets to him? This is ridiculous, no woman has been so infuriatingly under my skin since Mazaki and that's a whole different pain in the ass._  He sighed heavily and shook his head to discard any thought of Terry but she lingered there in the back of his mind and he knew it.

* * *

Terry sat off to the side on the grass, watching as they team practiced plays and ran drills, the sight of them giving their all kindling the fiery spirit in her once more. How long has it been since she last been outside? Running and enjoying the wind against her face? She looked up at the bright blue sky above and smiled. Inhaling as much air as she could, she let in the sunshine as she expanded her body until she could take in no more and expelled everything that had been making her feel so muddled and down.

 _That's right, this is all a whole new world for me…and I got lost in the minor details._  Her gaze instantly fell on Atem and a sudden warmth grew in her chest as she lightly touched her forehead where he kissed her.  _I'm not alone…I have everyone here. I'm not as lost as I thought…thank you, for saving me from being confused._  She silently said to Atem, waving to him and Jonouchi when they looked her way. The whole team turned to see her. "You guys are doing great, keep it up!" She shouted as loud as she could, the little cheer bolstering the team a bit as they all puffed their chests a bit and attacked the grueling drills with new vitality.

"Hey Terry, mind if I join you?" Marik's voice caught her ear and she turned to look up at him, squinting against the sun.

"Go right ahead, I there's enough grass around." She grinned, and he plopped on to the ground next to her. "Did you finish all you needed to do?"

"Yup, got my books and got the tour." He nodded his head, a smile plastered on his face like one had been on Rei's.

"Oh, is that so? Was the tour really that fascinating? I mean it's really just an empty school building. The way you're grinning, it looks like you got some super special look at some secrets or something." She snickered as she nudged him.

"No, no secrets…but I did have the best tour guide. I think I'll have a great time here at this school with her nearby." He chuckled as she tried to tease him, but his cheeks did turn a little pink. "It's weird, I really didn't expect I'd ever meet someone who got me interested enough to actually take a chance." He mumbled as he laid back on to the grass.

"Yeah, I'm actually surprised you've been so strong right out of the gates. Though, I can't say I'm not happy for you. It's good to see you interested in someone for a change. I was worried you'd end up marrying a rock or something just for the sake of saying you're married."

"Oi, that rock has a name! It was Layla and you know as well as I do that was a stupid phase! You're never going to let me live it down!" He grumbled at the memories of how he had been attached to some stupid rock he thought was fated for him to find while Terry laughed heartily at the memories. She fell on to her back, curled up at the slide splitting laughter which only made him scowl even more. " **It's not that funny and you know it!** " He huffed and tugged at some grass, tossing at her childishly as she only laughed more.

"Oh geez, I can't breathe! I can't, oh man! I, you, that was just…you're so adorable!" She laughed, trying to stop. "I'll stop, I'll stop! I promise, I'll stop!" She repeated the words, but she laughed on still until her body could handle no more and she heaved for air.

"Ya good there?!" He scowled at her as she lay there breathlessly but smiling her usual carefree smile. As much as he wanted to be angry at her, he was glad she was back to being herself and is grateful she could have a good laugh.

"I'm good, I'm good, oh man! I won't tell her about your past escapade of almost eloping with a rock." She snickered, unable to laugh any harder. "Hooo, man!" She blew out a forced breath as she finally could breathe mostly regularly again.

"You better not tell her! That would be mortifying!" He scowled as he laid back down on the ground and looked up at the tree that shaded them. "I'm glad you're back to normal Terry…I really am. Just know you have a lot more people with you than you realize. This life is new to you, but that doesn't mean you're lost." He turned to look at her. "You have us." She turned to look at him and smiled.

"Yeah, I got caught up in everything and got a little blinded…thank you."

"Any time for you." He turned back up to the sky before they both sat up and watched as the soccer team split up and played a game.


	57. Morning Train

            The walk home was filled with boisterous sounds of laughter and chatter, a variety of topics discussed as the boys hopped from one to the next, Terry chiming in with ease on matters she knew she could keep up with. The continuous flow of conversation made the walk home feel like nothing, the three standing at the crossroads where Atem would head towards his neighborhood. With a simple wave, his usual signal of splitting from the group, they started to head their own ways. He glanced at the path he usually took and turned back to the trio, watching them for a moment when Terry turned. He is a little surprised when she turned, unsure of what to say or do and even more at the smile she gave him.

            “Don’t forget, you invited me tomorrow!” She carefully mouthed to him, not wanting to embarrass him in case he was not comfortable with others knowing.

            “Tch,” he clicked his tongue and shook his head as a smile took over the scowl he wanted to show at her words. “That’s my line,” he mouthed back and stuck his tongue out at her before turning his back to her to hide the laugh. Her looking surprised was far too goofy and cute to not laugh. Walking towards his house with a slight spring in his step, he realized he was actually excited to have someone to come over.

            Terry watched him for a moment longer, thrown for a loop by his uncharacteristic face but she liked seeing the new side to him. It was a boyish innocence she was grateful he still had in him.

            “Oi, Ter! Hurry up!” She heard Jonouchi shout and she quickly sprinted the distance between her and the two waiting for her.

            “Sorry, sorry! I got lost in my thoughts again.” She sheepishly grinned, Marik and Jonouchi looking to one another with zero surprise at this answer and gave identical sighs.

            “Quit getting lost in there and keep up. You’ll get yourself in some kind of trouble and I ran enough today.” Jonouchi wrinkled his nose at the thought of running again.

            “I dunno man, she’ll find a way to make us run. I bet she learned to run before crawling.” Marik laughed, patting Jonouchi on the shoulder.

            “Oh, I wholeheartedly agree to that! It’s like trouble finds her just so she has an excuse to run!” He laughed, happy to know he has someone who understands his pains.

            “I don’t run **that** much!” She huffed at the two of the, pushing her way between the two to separate them but ends up smooshed between them as they walk. They laugh as they playfully jostle one another before turning the corner and head up the steps to her house. They are greeted by Rishid and Ishizu, Terry introducing Jonouchi to them and vice versa before they delve into the details of Marik’s first day of school. Terry constantly made silly looks at Marik whenever he brought up Rei’s name, Jonouchi easily joining in as they teased him while he spoke to his siblings.

            “Oh yes, they seem to be fast friends alright!” Jonouchi snickered. “You’d think they’ve known one another forever almost!” He added, throwing his arm around Marik’s shoulders and pulls him into a headlock when he tried to break free.

            “We are **not** like that at all! Quit giving them ideas!” He huffed, his cheeks a little red at the teasing.

            “Is that a **blush** I see on your face Marik?!” Terry gasped as she leaned in towards his face to get a better look. He turned his head every which way to avoid her seeing and Terry quickly bobbed and weaved as she tried to get a better look at him. Ishizu and Rishid watch the scene in silence at first, not sure if they should laugh at the predicament their brother was in or help him. However, the more he squirmed the more the other two persisted and soon enough it was too much for even them to hold back anymore and the two laughed at the spectacle.

            “ **This isn’t something to be laughing about, help me!** ” Marik scolded his siblings who only laughed harder as Jonouchi grabbed him back into a hold when he just managed to escape.

            “My, my, what’s with all the laughter?” Aslan spoke up loudly as he entered the house.

            “Uncle, help me! They’re all ganging up on me!” Marik cried out for help, reaching out for Aslan who blinked at the sight before chuckling and giving his usual warm smile.

            “It’s great to see you all get along so well. Don’t spend too much time roughhousing now, I’m going to get dinner started.” He waved to the, Marik gaping at the fact he was abandoned by Aslan as well.

            “But, but, Uncle!” He shouted as Ishizu quickly stood from her seat.

            “Oh, there’s no need. I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of cooking tonight.” She said.

            “You did? You didn’t have to, and please don’t feel obligated to ask for permission here. Our home is your home, just as much as your home was ours in Egypt.” He lightly patted her on the head, treating her much like he treated Terry. “Thank you for cooking though, I’m sure it will be delicious. You boys better finish up and get changed, you don’t want her food to go to waste, right?” Marik and Jonouchi glanced at one another before scrambling apart and bolting to their respective rooms to beat the other to the bathroom. Rishid chuckled as they sped passed Terry, helping her keep balance as she quickly avoided being ran over by them.

            “Well now, I know to never get in front of them and food.” She laughed, thanking Rishid with a smile as she got back on her feet before giving her father a hug. “I better go get changed too, oh! Before I go though, tomorrow…my friend Atem invited me to his house for dinner. His younger brother really wants to see me again and his mother is pretty curious about me as well, can I go?”

            “Atem? The boy who came here a few times? Sure, I don’t see why not. He doesn’t live too far from here too. Just don’t stay out too late ok? Tell him to stop by again whenever he can. It’s always a pleasure having him.” Aslan smiled, ruffling her hair lightly. “Alright, off to getting washed and dressed like those two. We don’t want to keep everyone waiting.” He lightly pushed his daughter to the stairs. She grinned from ear to ear and gave her father one more hug in thanks before grabbing her bag and running up the steps. She pulled out her phone to text Atem, but only just realized she never exchanged contact information with him.

            _Huh…I’m as terrible as he said I was with technology._ She laughed at her realization, lightly tossing her phone on to her bed and placing her things away before getting ready for dinner and joining the others. The table is alive with warmth and conversation much like the walk home, laughter and chatter filling the house until they all retire to their rooms for the night.

            Breakfast was as busy as dinner, time flying without anyone noticing until Rishid pointed out if they would be late. The three students gaped at the time before stuffing their faces with the last of their food, grabbing their bags and lunches, scrambling as they pulled on their shoes, and dashed out the door.

            “ **I blame you Terry! If you hadn’t started that discussion about Duel Monsters we’d left on time!** ” Jonouchi shouted at the tops of his lungs as they ran to the train, the organs burning as they pushed themselves to grab the train.

            “ **Less shouting, more running!** ” Marik shouted, gaining a few steps on Jonouchi who quickly buttoned his lips and focused on propelling himself.

            “ **Follow me, I know a shortcut!** ” Terry shouted and suddenly veered right, the boys skidding to a halt, confused but were running behind her in a split second. Vaulting over the park fence, she led them through the grassy fields, narrowly dodging people on their morning jog and other crowds as they head into a busy shopping district only to duck into an alley and climb a fence.

            “How the **hell** is this a **shortcut?!** ” Jonouchi huffed as he hopped down from the fence.

            “ **Seriously,** this is like a secret training for an obstacle race or something?” Marik agreed with Jonouchi.

            “Just follow me, you’ll see! It’s just ahead!”

            “ **You’ve been saying that!** ” They answered in unison when they finally saw the top of the station come into view. The building never looked more beautiful to them and they pushed harder as they fumbled through the gates, Jonouchi crashing into Terry as she screeched to a halt to avoid crashing into it but all three were knocked to the floor as Marik smacked into Jonouchi which toppled him onto her. Once untangled they managed to get through and dove into the train car just as the doors began to shut.

            “ **Made it!** ” They all three shouted with relief as they came through the doors but unable to stop their moment like before, one smacks into the other and Terry is sent falling to the ground again. Or so she was about to meet the floor again, her hands thrown out to catch herself, but someone had grabbed ahold of her.

            “Why am I not surprised you’re running?” A familiar voice sighed, shaking his head at the three. “And you two, you trying to send her flying out the window? I swear, I can’t keep my eyes off you for even a second!” Terry quickly looked up to see none other than Atem.

            “Oh, hi, morning, thanks for the save.” She laughed a little breathlessly and Atem felt a migraine coming on already. He glanced to the boys who gave him grateful looks, but they were stuck where they were with how packed the car was now that they got up.

            “That’s all you can think to say right now? Really? I swear,” he rolled his eyes at her as he helped her stand properly but kept her pressed against him since the train was pretty packed. He had quickly made way to catch her. She was headed straight into some else and that was bound to be more trouble. That, or she would have fallen on the floor and ended up stepped on in some way. His body had reacted before his mind could calculate any of that though, the sight of her possibly in danger triggered a knee-jerk reaction and now here he was with her. He looked down at her to see her pouting at him and he smirked a little as he held on to the bar near them. “Hey, I saved you…least you can do is give me that idiotic grin of yours you know. You look best that way.” He mumbled the last words as he held her closer as the train rocked and the passengers jerked around a bit.

            “It’s not idiotic…jerk!” She grumbled in response, about to argue with him when his voice dropped, and he leaned into her ear to add the last sentence. Her heart jumped with the train, her face heating up in addition to her already warmed body from running. He smiled as he saw her cheeks turn a little redder, satisfied with the reaction as she gave a small ‘oh’. She looked at him fearlessly like always, but he saw the confusion and the slight timid nature in her always honest eyes.

            “My father said it’s ok, you know, to come over for dinner tonight.” She finally spoke up, her voice a little hushed from how close they were to each other. “He also said you should stop by again, he enjoys your company.”

            “That’s good,” he answered simply but his smile only grew sly at her words. “Oh, just him?” He asked casually, able to see the flicker of recognition in her eyes and a slight panic rise in them.

            “N-no, not just him! Joey clearly likes it when you visit too!”

            “So just them?” He forced a frown to hide his chuckle.

            “Of course, I like when you visit too! I mean, that’s a given! I get really happy when you visit, I love spending time with you!” She quickly added, her impassioned speech making him bite at his lower lip. The sudden use of the word sent a thrill of warmth through him, but he knew that was not what she meant at all.

            _You really can be so cruel…but that’s ok, it just means I have every right to tease you._ “Oh? You love it? Well now, I didn’t expect someone like me to get a confession like that so early in the morning…it’s so sudden.”

            “Huh? Confession…? What are you-what?! No, no, no that’s not what I meant!”

            “You didn’t? So, you don’t love my company?” He asked, unable to hold back his chuckle as she blushed and battled with words to try and fix the misunderstanding that was not there. The moment she saw him laugh her face was red for a whole different reason as she scowled and whacked him on the chest and grumbled angry scolding words at him for being so mean. “What, you said you’d take full responsibility remember?” He grinned as she found herself stuck and sighed at the reminder.

            “I did, didn’t I?” She frowned a little. He was not pleased with this reaction of her and quickly got to correcting it as he leaned down as if to whisper something to her but surprised her with a playful bite of her nose and a peck on her cheek. She looked at him bewildered for a moment but soon was smiling once again as she laughed at his odd antics. “What was that for?”

            “To get you to smile of course,” he simply replied. “And there it is, that foolish grin of yours that makes everything better.” He hummed, resting his head on hers to hide the slight blush on his cheeks from her and efficiently ending the conversation there. She made no attempt to resume it though, her heart jumping once again with the train. The silence was welcomed by both.


	58. Longest Day Ever

    The school day went by in a blur for Atem as he waited for the final bell. In the past he simply left the classroom if he felt antsy, itching for a cigarette of two to help calm himself. Ever since Terry had come into his life, he was suddenly thrown in all sorts of directions. Now he actually stuck through the class. He even participated. The fact he was an active student in class was a miracle that no one questioned. The faculty were all too happy to see him in class, when he started to participate they were so shocked it was hilarious. He actually enjoyed the stunned looks he got from them. It irritated him on some level as well, but unlike before he let that irritation be instead of lashing out.

    He had not noticed the changes all that much at first. He refused to give her the credit of anything he was doing. That he was not influenced at all by her company. He was merely doing everything that he wanted to and without Anzu or Kyohei he may as well spend time in class and build on himself. Slowly the time he spent in class along with his friends. He was talking to Jonouchi again, spent time in the library, and had even tried for the soccer team again. That was the biggest move he had made that got him thinking. He actually wanted to make her proud of him in some way.

    He liked her, there was no denying that. Her being oblivious was also something undeniable, but he wanted her to be proud nonetheless. He wanted to make her happy while taking initiative to better himself for Yugi. She was right when she said he was not thinking of the example he set for his younger brother. He was able to hide all of his misdemeanours from his family now, but there would be a day that it all came out and later could be worse than he imagined. He had thought over that advice and started to work only to realize he had been stagnant in a pit, lashing out at anyone who wanted to help. He chased anyone good away until someone had ignored all of his sharp words and reached out for him. Tossing down a rope for him to climb only to find that many more were helping her hold the rope for him.

    He also liked himself better when he was with her. Had he known from the start, he never would have been so stupid. He knew he would be sticking around for a long time. He glanced over at Terry for the umpteenth time that day and Jonouchi nudged him with a teasing grin. Scowling he elbowed the nosy blonde and mouthed him to ‘fuck off’. Placing a hand over his heart, he faked being stabbed by such words as he slumped in his chair for a moment only to quickly sit up before the teacher caught them. The two shared a secret fist bump as they got away with their antics, classmates snickering at the silliness. He definitely liked himself better now. That little voice in the back of his head had even been extremely quiet. At first it was disturbing. The criticism not as frequent became minimal. He had actually missed the harsh words and cruel laughter for a moment. It was the only thing consistent in himself. Now, seeing her smile was. Spending time with friends was a norm and he no longer needed the toxic comfort.

    When the lunch bell ring he found he was torn between relief and frustration. Relief that he was able to go spend time with her, but frustrated that only half the day had gone by. He would take what he could get though and quickly stood from his seat and made his way over to her. His soccer teammates had come to their classroom to grab him and Jonouchi but stopped as he made his way to Terry. They whistled at his back, cheering him on which he happily replied with a middle finger salute and a scowl which they all laughed at.

    “You going to the library or are you going to be on the roof with us?” He asked, turning back to see Terry laughing at the little exchange that just happened.

    “Well...I was thinking of going to the library to be honest. Though I suppose I should probably let Joey and Marik know that I won’t be walking home with them today.” She said after a moment of thought. “Hmm...I can go to the library tomorrow.” She said after some more thought and stood up from her seat as Rei and Marik walked over to them.

    “Well there tiger, on the prowl?” He snickered, patting Atem on the back.

    “I would say ‘you too’ but you just give off that ‘pain in the ass brother type’ vibe.” He rolled his eyes at Marik.

    “How dare you,” Marik gasped as he ripped his hand away. “That,” he glared. “Is absolutely,” he leaned in to Atem. “The fucking truth.” He grinned and threw his arm around his shoulder. Rei laughed as Atem scowled and shoved Marik away.

    “Go hang all over her, we all know you want to!”

    “Hey, I ain’t gonna deny that. Having a beauty like her one my arm? Even if it’s a moment as embarrassing as falling? I’ll take it!” He winked at Rei who blushed and scowled at him.

    “W-will you ever stop?! Haven’t you done enough during class?” She hissed the words, recalling all the flirting glances he had given her. He had snuck her hand and placed it on his lap when no one was looking. He toyed with her hair when they were made to work in pairs on a worksheet. He purposely leaned close enough that his breath was constantly on her skin and his musky scent was all she could smell. She did not mind any of it, but it was all too much for her poor high school heart to handle. He was so bold!

    “Whatever do you mean? What exactly did I do that you didn’t like?” Marik asked, a sly smirk on his lips as he leaned down over her, slipping an arm around her waist to keep her close. “You name it and I’ll stop it. You have my word.” He practically whispered the words, sending her heart into a frenzy which left her mute and red faced.

    “Oh no, I think he broke Rei!” Honda laughed as he made his way over with Ryuugi and Minami.

    “Oh geez, cool it will you Ishtar? We’re still in a full classroom!” Ryuugi nudged him playfully as Minami pulled Rei away and scowled at the boys.

    “Excuse me, I have yet to do anything! In fact, I asked her what I did was troublesome and promised to stop whatever she listed! If you ask me, that’s quite chivalrous of me. You’re painting me in completely the wrong light!” He huffed, resting his hands on his hips.

    “Oh yeah, totally wrong. They need to paint you much more sinisterly and add a rock.” Terry mumbled so that only Marik heard her. He turned to her, glaring at her. She innocently looked back at him before looking to Atem who was amused and tried looking all at once.

    “I swear, you’re all insane.” He chuckled.

    “Well it takes the insane to deal with your ass so what does that say about you?” Jonouchi joined in on the conversation.

    “Fuck off Jo, no one asked you!” Atem retorted, earning laughter from the circle of friends as well as the nearby classmates who were watching.

    “Alright, alright everyone! Let’s head out before we end up making ourselves the show for everyone else’s lunch instead of eating our own!” Terry clapped her hands to gather their attention.

    “Great idea, let’s go!” Rei and Minami chimed in and threaded an arm through one of Terry’s before leading her off ahead. They glance at Atem, giving him a cheeky grin as he gaped at them stealing Terry away from him. The boys laughed at his expense, patting him on the shoulder and nudging him to follow.

    “Better close your mouth, you’ll catch flies.” Marik taped his jaw and Atem scowled.

    “Seriously was right about that vibe,” he grumbled but was clearly not all that upset. They two had a mutual understanding for the other that had built a quick friendship between them.

    The group settled on the roof in their usual spot, a little more spread but loud and sharing food like always. The boys argued over silly things while the girls laughed and teased them endlessly. Marik flirted with Rei openly, earning whistles and cheers from the group. Ryuugi was adorably doting on Minami, earning some teasing remarks from the guys which the girls had defended him from.

    “Ugh, it sucks being single with these two flirting it up! Terry, why don’t we date and show them?!” Honda threw himself belly first on the floor as he playfully whined to the only available girl in the group. She simply patted him on the head as usual. Atem felt something ugly build up in him but he quickly squashed the feeling when Terry spoke up.

    “I don’t think that would work and that’s hardly a way to ask someone out.”

    “Seriously man, do you really wonder why you’re still single?” Jonouchi snickered.

    “Oi, you’re one to talk!” Honda scowled at his blonde friend.

    “What do you mean? I’m not single.” He blinked, staring at his friend like he’s insane.

    “It’s okay to admit you’re single Joey, we won’t judge you here.” Ryuugi added, patting his friend on the back but his hand was shrugged off with a scowl on the blonde’s face.

    “I’m not lying, I’m not single.” He stressed, his expression serious.

    “He’s not lying, he has a girlfriend.” Terry vouched for him, seeing that no one was taking him seriously.

    “Wait, **you really** have a girlfriend?” Atem asked, earning a nod from Jonouchi. He looked to Terry who nodded as well. When he turned to Marik who nodded as well.

    “I don’t know her personally, but he’s shown me her picture.” He replied nonchalantly, biting into his sandwich.

    “Since **when**?” Ryuugi stressed, leaning forward with Minami who was equally surprised by this news.

    “You know, that makes so much more sense though! You turn down anyone who confesses to you and you don’t let us set you up at all!” Minami added as she thought over his behavior.

    “Wait, was it that chick you were with when the new ride opened at the theme park a few months back?” Atem suddenly asked as he tried to figure out who Jonouchi was with.

    “Did we go to the park? Oh yeah we did, so yeah I guess you saw us.” Jonouchi thought over the date a bit. “I’ve been with her for a year and a half now actually,” he grinned proudly as the three boys gaped at this news.

    “You, **Jonouchi Katsuya** , have been dating someone and **never** told us?! Who is she?!” Minami leaped at him along with Rei.

    “You have to have a picture, show us!” Rei added, eager to see her.

    “She’s really pretty and really cool actually. She’s come over a few times now that he lives with us.” Terry spoke up again.

    “Yeah, I finally have a place safe enough for her to chill out.” He smiled gratefully at Terry who waved it off as nothing.

    “Ok, cutesy brother-sister moment later, **show us!** ” Rei snapped her fingers to regain his attention which he jumped and laughed at.

    “Alright, alright! Hold on, geez!” He fished his phone out of his pant pocket and showed them the wallpaper of him with a gorgeous blonde. “Her name is Mai,” he said as his phone was snatched and passed around. “We met at that huge dueling tournament that was held by Pegasus and then again at the one held by Kaiba. We kept in touch between the two, but it wasn’t really much until we met in Kaiba’s. She wasn’t sure about dating me, but I won her over with my unique charm.” He grinned, flexing his arms as he puffed his chest with pride.

    “Oh wow, she’s literally gorgeous! What school does she go to? She looks way too mature for you with how much of a goofball you are.” Rei teased him lightheartedly as the guys took a look at the photo.

    “Older woman, nice. Glad you found someone worthwhile. You deserve it.” Atem said as he tossed the phone back at his friend, surprising Jonouchi.

    “Y-you really mean that?” He stammered a bit.

    “Yeah, of course I do. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it...who the fuck do take me for?” He scowled at this but knew why Jonouchi was so nervous. “Look, I went through some rough shit in the past...I fell into shitty company that understood me. I’m not making excuses for what I did… I was an ass to you and I’m sorry. But,” he quickly interjected any reaction from anyone and made sure no one spoke. “But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about you. You were my best friend and I cared about you. You put up with my shit and kept taking it no matter what...you deserve someone who accepts you goofball and all. You’re loyal and dependable and she clearly saw that.” Everyone silently sat there, looking to Jonouchi who was speechless for the moment. Terry leaned towards Atem, secretly locking their pinkies to let him know he had done the right thing as well as to let him know she was there for him.

    “The fuck man, you can’t say shit like that outta the blue!” Jonouchi sniffled and hid his eyes behind his arm. “Shit, I’m just glad we’re friends again! I really wanted to introduce her to you all...it just didn’t feel right not introducing her to you as well.”

    “Well, now you can.” Minami smiled brightly, a little teary-eyed with Rei at the heartwarming scene of two friends reuniting.

    “Aw man, now really it’s just me and you!” Honda dramatically sighed, relieving the boys of the attention which they were grateful for. He threw himself onto Terry’s lap but was suddenly tossed away in a block. He blinked in surprise as Terry gaped and stared at what she had done.

    “Crap, I’m sorry! It’s just a habit of mine! I swear I didn’t mean anything by it! Are you ok?!” She panicked but turned at the sound of laughter. Atem was curled over holding his stomach which soon had everyone else laugh as well.

    He tensed up when Honda leaped towards, ready to ward him off but she had reacted before he could. Like always, she defended herself without a second though out of her second nature and finally it was not directed at him.

    “That’s what you get for asking her in such a shitty way!” Marik laughed, Honda pouting as he sat up straight and sulked a little. He was quickly appeased with some sweets however and all was forgiven. With the talk of couples over, they shifted to the topic of after school plans.

    “Yeah we don’t have practice today, so maybe we can all do something together? Rare day off and all.” Jonouchi offered.

    “Oh that’s true, no one has anything after school today. Huh...why didn’t we notice this sooner? We could’ve had weekly meetups after school.” Rei pointed out.

    “Yeah, seriously. What were we thinking?” Ryuugi snickered.

    “We weren’t.” Minami added, earning a small round of laughter at this reality.

    “Oh, I have plans actually.” Terry quickly chimed in before anything could be set. “I have plans, but you all can meetup still. I don’t mind.”

    “Plans, what are you doing?” Marik frowned at this.

    “I’m meeting up with my little friend Yugi.” She smiled brightly at them.

    “Yugi, as in little Yugi? Atem’s brother Yugi?” Jonouchi clarified and she nodded her head.

    “Atem told me yesterday that he’s been missing me and he’s been talking about me to their mom like crazy. Their grandfather...also is interested in seeing me again...but you know, he’s a character.” She nervously laughed at the mentioning of the old man. Marik and Jonouchi turn to Atem, staring dead at him as they give exaggerated ‘uhuh’s and sly grins to him. He scowled at the two but made no motions to correct or deny.

    “She’s gonna head to my place with me after school so you guys do what you want. We’ll join you guys later.” He said firmly, stopping the subject before anyone could tease him. Luckily lunch had come to an end and they all had to head back to class once more.


	59. Stop on the Way

As the final bell rang the classroom filled with a cacophony of sounds as students gathered their things and spoke with their friends. Atem watched the clusters of students for a moment before looking over at Terry. Fear gripped his heart as he glanced between the others and her.

_ They’ll obvious notice you walking over to her. When don’t they notice you? You’re a walking talking mistake that they all are forced to watch and she’s obviously going to be labeled along with you. At least you won’t be so lonely anymore right? Another piece of shit to wallow with? _ The little voice in his head sprang to life at the first sign of hesitance, reminding him that it was still there with all the darkness he held inside himself. Clenching his jaw, he found himself frozen in his seat until a nudge to his right pulled him from the grips of the self hate that cackled in his mind.

“Oi, are you just going to sit here and wait? I mean, if that’s your game then by all means, but if you’re letting  **her** lead...well you’ve got a hell of a long wait ahead of you...and running, lots of running.” Jonouchi patted him on the shoulder.

“I wasn’t wait,” he scowled as he quickly retorted and swatted the hand away. “I just was giving her time to get her shit together. I don’t wanna just loom over her like some weirdo stalker. We got time as is since the halls are so congested too.” He pointed out with ease reasonable excuses for his lack of movement.

“Ah, that makes sense.” The blonde nodded his head in agreement. “Well, you two have fun or well her and Yugi have fun since  **clearly** this is a meetup  **for him** and  **not you** .” He teased him.

“Screw you asshole! Yugi really has taken a shine to her and my mom does wanna meet the girl I keep hanging out with now!” He scowled to hide his blush as he stood up from his seat finally as he packed his bag. “I’m not complaining because I wanna spend time with her too, so it’s a win all around.”

“You sneaky little bastard!” Jonouchi pulled Atem into a headlock and ruffled his hair a bit. “Well I’m rootin’ for you buddy! If it looks like it’s getting late just let me know and we’ll come get her so you don’t have to come drop her off.” He assured as he released his friend.

“Yeah, I’ll keep you posted on that. I don’t mind dropping her off though. If it gets late, that’s the least I can do. Plus, not like it’s a long walk. I can easily head back on my own. Anyway, the others are waiting on you so quit sticking your nose in my business and get going.” He motioned to the group by the door who waved at them. Marik grinned and winked at Atem, giving a thumbs up to him which he scowled at in response.

“Oh right, see you later. Good luck, don’t do anything that’d make us kill you.” He gave him a thumbs.

“My family is home and we’re going to spend time  **with** them...the fuck are you expecting me to do you creep?” Atem reminded him, earning a laugh as he walked off to the others.  _ I swear he has a few screws loose. _ He shook his head as he turned and walked over to Terry’s desk as she stood from her seat, rechecking that she had everything. “Ready?”

“Oh, hi!” She quickly looked up at him. “Didn’t see you there, sorry.” She sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. “Yeah, I’m ready. Are we going to pick him up from school too?”

“No, he had a half day so he’s already home. I’m sure he’s spent the day with mom trying to make everything perfect in his own way.” He snickered, the thought of his little brother so excited bringing a warm smile to his face. Terry stared at the soft expression, wanting to etch it forever into her mind since it was so rare to see. He only ever showed this side of him when it concerned Yugi and it was a rare treat for her as well in its own way.

_ Always showing me so many new faces of his...I wonder how many more there are and if I’ll be able to see them all. _ She wondered to herself as they fell into step side by side to the train station. They were close enough that their arms occasionally brushed up against one another. To Terry, it had not meant much. She was used to being in crowded and cramped areas. To Atem, it was taking all of his concentration which led to an awkward and silent walk to the train.

Stepping into the nearest car, he pulled her close just like he had this morning. She looked up at him curiously only to be greeted with a smirk.

“Don’t want you running off and falling all over the place again. I need you in one piece unharmed.” He teased, laughing as her cheeks puffed a little and turned a little red.

“That wasn’t what I planned on doing! Stop making it sound like I planned to go tumbling into a group of strangers!” She huffed, lightly whacking chest when the train started to move and she quickly tried to right herself to avoid falling from the initial jerk.

“I got you,” he whispered in her ear as his arm instinctively tensed to help keep her steady. “Just relax and enjoy the ride, I won’t let you fall.” Her heart jumped at the feel of his hot breath against her skin, a sudden sensation that left her feeling more unbalanced than the train. She glanced up at him through her lashes, unsure of what she was supposed to do in this sort of situation.

“Ok,” she managed to finally say in a soft whisper as she left herself in his care. It was not something she was used to but with him she felt as if she could without regret. A slight awkward pause settled around them and it made her a little nervous. For the second time she was hyper aware of Atem and the differences in their physique. His chest was broad and his arms were well built though he was more lithe in form than overly bulky. He was taller than her and lacked the curves she had though she too was athletic in build. Unable to keep listing the differences between them, she blurted out something about homework.

Atem silently watched her, amused at the various emotions and expressions that flitted across her face before she spoke up about homework. It was a silent private show he enjoyed thoroughly and had not the heart to interrupt. To see her a little unhinged was a rare sight and it only fueled his courage. The topic of homework caught him by surprise thought and he stifled his laughter to answer her properly. Giving in, he followed her lead in the conversation to help her relax.

As soon as they reach their stop, he shifted his grip from his arm around her to holding her hand as he led her out of the station and down the usual path home. It was a quick walk, both of them eagerly walking towards their shared destination when Terry realized something and abruptly stopped walking.

“I don’t have anything to give your family! I can’t just go empty handed, that’s rude!” She frowned. Atem blinked a few times as he wondered whether this was something serious or not at first, but upon reminding him this was her he knew this was something she was not going to let go easily. The fact that she cared so much about it for his family made him feel warm inside and he found he was not able to tease her thought he wanted to.

“You want to pick up something on the way? There’s a bakery near my house that we like the cookies and cakes from.” He motioned with his head in the direction they were headed. “It’s a roundabout way to my place, but we’ll still be there and you can get what you want as a gift.” He offered her.

“Please? I really don’t feel right heading over without something. It’s just how I was raised, even when we met Marik and his family we brought them stuff every time we stayed with them.” She smiled with relief at the suggestion. “Help me pick out what everyone likes? I want to make sure I get stuff you all like.” She squeezed his hand that held hers as he chuckled and nodded his head.

“Sure, I’ll help you out.” He agreed and led the way to the bakery first. His hand stayed firmly clasped with hers as they walked. Some people stared at them, it obvious they made an odd pair and their lack of matching uniforms only added to the confusion. He paid it no mind, but he wondered how she felt. Girls were usually very sensitive to this sort of thing and it actually made him a little nervous to see. He was not sure he could stand seeing her uncomfortable beside him.

_ Fuck it, quit being a chicken and look! _ He scolded himself as he peered at her from the corner of his eye. To his surprise, she was smiling happily beside him. Either she was oblivious to the stares or she simply did not care. Whichever it was, he personally was not pressed to find out. He was too happy to know she was fine. Holding the door open for her, they enter the store and he led her around to point out all the favorites of his family members. Taking his advice to heart, she selected a few things for everyone but he noticed there were some things he had not mentioned at all.  _ Huh, maybe for her family? Though there’s a lot of them now...is that enough? Maybe some of them don’t have sweet tooths? _ He wondered as she paid the bill and they were out the door once again. Before he could ask, the extra bag of pastries was suddenly thrusted towards him.

“Here, a thank you for you helping and taking me here. I also noticed you didn’t tell me anything about what you like or dislike so I kinda just worked with what I know about you from all of our lunch meets.” She genuinely smiled at him.

“Me? Are you sure?” He blinked a few times at the offering that was held out to him. She nodded her head in response and patiently waited until he finally took the bag from her hand. “Thanks, you didn’t have...man, I thought you were picking stuff to bring back home with you.”

“I thought about that, but with me at your place I didn’t want it going bad so I figured it was better to leave that for another day.” She snickered as he caught her other idea. “I planned on getting you something too, I figured why not from the place you enjoy.” She shrugged her shoulders lightly.

“Thanks,” he chuckled at her explanation and pulled out one of the smaller cookies. He hummed with delight at the sweet taste that spread through his mouth. “Damn, so good!” He happily swallowed the rest of it before leading her to his house. “Let’s share these at my place later. If we eat before dinner mom will get pissed cause it would ruin the dinner she spent making.” Grabbing her hand again to silence any of her protests about sharing his gift, he led the way to his place with her.


	60. Meeting the Family

Terry stared at the broad back that was in front of her, once in a while looking at their joined hands as she kept a step behind to let him lead the way. She was unable to ignore the fact that his hand was larger than her own, easily encasing hers with such warmth. His finger tips were a little callous but the rest it was smooth. It was the opposite of her hands which were pretty callous from her active lifestyle prior to her life here. She wondered if he found it odd that her hands were so rough. She never thought about such things before coming to live an average life, Minami and Rei's hands much softer and slender than hers.

 _Does that sort of thing matter?_  She wondered, looking at their joined hands once again. When did she begin to wonder about such things? Why was she thinking so much about it? She really had no answers, but she knew she liked that comfort his hand brought her.  _That's all that really matters._  She gave his hand a small squeeze as she took a large step to stand next to him. Up until this point she had actually be very nervous. She never dealt with a mother before. She had no mother of her own after all. The fact she was meeting his was even more nerve wracking than she originally thought.

She, Terry Sheriff, was anxious over meeting a mother. She had braved murderous bandits, tomb raiders, death traps, wild animals, all sorts of diseases, and a variety of scenarios that promised unimaginable bodily harm. She looked danger in the eye and grinned with confidence. She laughed at the thought of letting a chance to explore slide by, and yet here she was shaky legged like a fawn taking its first steps. She felt silly about it, but this was something very daunting to her. Her feet began to slow as she rattled her mind with how to handle the situation until she was almost an arm's length behind him and grabbed his attention.

Atem turned to see what was wrong, stopping mid step as he saw the uncertainty in her eyes. She bit at her lip as her eyes never left the same spot on the sidewalk but he knew he mind was somewhere else. A small frown curled on his lips as he walked back to her and lightly knocked on her head.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He wondered if she was second guessing her trip to his home and that made him a little uneasy. The little demon that always nagged at him with negativity tried to speak up but he quickly focused his thoughts on Terry. He knew she would not lie about wanting to come over. There was definitely something else. She was more than excited earlier and even went so far as to grab the baked goods as a gift. He silently watched as her head quickly jerked up as she looked at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry…I just got a little lost in my own thoughts." She forced a smile on her face and he felt his eyebrow twitch at the sight of it. There was a smile, but that was it. Her eyes held such nervous fear that it was a terrible front for someone like him who paid so much attention to her.

 _Why are you trying to be so strong when you have me? It's just us…with me, at least with me, don't hide._  He wanted to say but the words never came out. Instead he pinched at her cheek with his free hand and tugged as he scowled outwardly at her. "That smiles wrong," he bluntly stated. "I told you…you're foolish grin suits you best. You really are vapid if you think I wouldn't see the difference." He scoffed, her eyes widening a bit at his words. She knew he was contrarian, especially when he lacked the words or courage to speak what was in his heart; so his words never hurt her. A genuine smile slowly grew from the forced one, quickly taking over her face as the light of it filled her eyes. "That's better, now how about you tell me what's got you so troubled?"

"I," she started to speak up but suddenly stopped for a moment. She considered her words as she looked down at their joined hands as the one pinching her cheek released her only to cup the now red skin. "I…don't know how to face your mother." She finally spoke up. Atem stared at her, unsure if he had actually heard her right. Her fear was all centered around his mother? The girl who faced demons of unimaginable proportions was now demure at the thought of a simple single mother like his? It was unbelievable to him.

"I…have never really dealt with a mother before unless necessary and even then it was my dad who spoke with them." She explained to him. "I've not once seen my mother since the day she left. I know why she left, it's no secret. She didn't like me and I wasn't the ideal child for her. Nothing I did ever pleased her and she left us. I…I've never thought about her. In fact, I avoid thinking about her as much as possible. She's just…a negative part of my life that I've come to accept as just that. I don't...I don't want to offend you mother and I don't want her to hate me as well. I don't know how to really speak to her or how to interact with her." Her voice slowly grew softer as she spoke, fumbling with her words a bit. Atem leaned closer to hear her, resting his forehead on top of her now bowed head.

"Did you think I was going to laugh at you for something like this?" He whispered, running his thumb against her cheek. "Terry, you can tell me these sort of things…I don't mind. I want to help you just like you help me." He whispered, wanting to first ease her discomfort in her telling him. "And you don't need to worry about her hating you. I can tell you right off the bat she loves you. She excited to meet you and can't wait to get to know you." He assured her, moving his head to make her look up at him. "You've got nothing to worry about when it comes to my mother and as for your own…she's a bitch who's the one that lost something amazing. You're an amazing person and not having a mother isn't a bad thing. I won't lie, I was pretty thrown by your dad with the lack of my own in the picture but after talking to him I got to know how great he is. You'll realize the same with my mom." He pressed his lips to the cheek he had pinched without thinking, hoping he could give her some courage.

She smiled at the small kiss, the tops of her cheeks dusting a soft pink. Giving a silent nod and a soft 'yeah', they were on their way once again with them hold hands a little tighter. Atem's ears burned as he realized what he had done but her lack of talking made it easier on him to handle the internal freak out that was raging in him. It was not long until they stopped at the front of the game shop. He peeked at her through the corner of his eye as she took in store front with a slightly raised brow.

"Did you need to buy something?" She asked, turning to him finally since he made no motion to go in or move on.

"No," he shook his head though he was amused at the confusion that grew on her face. He was nervous though. He was not exactly the most sociable person and here his family owned a geeky thing like a game shop. It was cool growing up but now it was something of embarrassment more or less. He stopped inviting people over foe this reason at first before cutting off most of his ties until it was Anzu and Kyohei alone. Those two he especially never really invited over at first but they pushed and until he did and it was hardly a fun time for him though they had their laughs.  _A normal person would judge me…maybe because it's her I'm not that worried about that being true? Though…what if this is that one thing she's just like everyone else in?_

 _No? Then why would we be standing here? Oh, wait…maybe his house is in the back of the shop? Or on top?_  She looked up at the building once more to get a better look at it. D _efinitely on top, huh I never thought that his family owned a game store. Then again…he does know a lot about all sorts of games._  She recalled the conversations he had with the other guys. "So you live here…above the shop right?" She pointed to the second floor. He nodded in response. "That's pretty cool. Marik lived above a store front too in Egypt. Though that was a restaurant and the food always smelled amazing!" She grinned at the memories, a hand naturally coming to her stomach and rubbing a little as she recalled the many smells of the delicious food.

"You think this is cool?" He raised a brow at this as she nodded in response.

"Definitely, you get see all sorts of new games that come on the market and see what's the coolest and latest thing in the gaming world. They're a way we socially interact and if anything, society puts a whole lot of stock in physical games or better known as sports. Now tabletop and video games are pretty big too. If I'm correct, Duel Monsters is a huge hit and Kaiba Corp invests in enriching the gaming experience which is fascinating to me." She explained, her eyes alight with wonder as she observed and took in her surroundings. The same look of observation to figure out and learn that always used to irritate him was now no longer that irritating.

"You're such a weirdo." He scoffed, rolling his eyes as he led her into the store. The bell chimed overhead as the door opened and closed. There were some customers that were there but none of them seemed to be all that interested in the merchandise. One even started to put something down and was about to leave when Terry noted the game.

"Oh, that's a really fun game!" She exclaimed and walked over to the customer. "I'm sorry, I just realized what you were holding and it's honestly a really fun game to play with a group of friends. Essentially you have to get away with whatever your dare card says without the others in the group realizing what you're doing. If you do, the next round you claim success and win a point or the card. If someone catches you they call out the games title and you lose the card instead. Whoever calls it out first is the winner of your card." She explained. "The box is a little confusing but once you play it it's a riot! One time I had to pretend to be a fish for a whole round while playing the game, it was a mess!"

"A fish? No way, how'd you do that?!" The customer gaped as she dove into the tale of how she casually laid on her side and pretended to stretch or pull of some weird exercise whenever she was asked what she was doing though it really was just flopping around. "No one guessed it?!" She laughed and shook her head. Atem watched in awe as she seamlessly made her way into a conversation with the customer and even got them to reconsider the game from the looks of it.

"Not a single one! You definitely should consider this game if you're planning on buying one. There are expansion packs too so you can always keep a variety and never memorize one. It keeps you pretty engaged in the overall card game though the main game are these secret cards. To win you need to successfully execute your dares and win the card game as well." She grinned, the customer picking up the box once more and contemplating it.

"I'm not a big card gamer though…."

"This isn't the card game type you're worrying about. This is a party game when you just have a group of friends over. It's good for family events too when you have your cousins over and you want a simple night in." She assured the customer. After a moment of more thought, the customer grinned and nodded before thanking Terry before taking the game to the register to purchase. Another customer who had overheard the conversation came over to look it over with the friend with them and picked up a copy as well.

"Do you work here?" A guy spoke up from behind her and she turned to see a fellow high school goer though his uniform was different.

"Me? No, I don't." She scratched the back of her head as she gave an apologetic smile. "But maybe I can be of assistance?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! You just sounded so sure about the game I thought maybe you did!" He quickly apologized as well. "Uhm…if you don't mind? Do you know about Duel Monsters?"

"I do," she nodded her head.

"Oh great, I was thinking of joining the next competition…however I don't know which rare card I should get." He frowned, looking at the display case that showed quite a few rare cards. "I'm torn between these two," he pointed them out.

"Well…what's the focus of your deck?" She asked after reading the details of the two cards.

"Excuse me…?"

"Your deck, what's the theme of it? Is it mostly magic or traps or normal monster types? Are there more dragon types or maybe dark magic types?" She asked. "Do you have your deck on you?" The guy nodded as he quickly fished out his deck box and handed it over to her. She briefly skimmed through the options there, smiling a little to herself as she thought over the history of the game. The smile faltered a bit here and there as she noted some issues in the deck. "It's a pretty good deck…but you're a little too offensive heavy and not enough defense. Most of your monsters have heavy attack but terrible defense. They'd be easily knocked off the field if ever in defense. You don't need to toss the fighters you have…but maybe consider more magic triggers? I believe that's the term they use for them."

"Trap cards," Atem spoke up from behind her as he took the deck out of her hand and scoped the details of it. "You need more trap cards to help balance you out. Rare cards are cool and all but you need a deck they can work in not a deck that works for them. Try these booster packs. They've got a solid variety," he suggested as he pulled a few different ones off the shelf of the nearby wall. "If you really want to buy a rare card as well, then that one would be your best bet." Atem pointed to the second one. "You need to find a focus and stick to it."

"Oh…ok! Thanks a lot, I'll definitely think this over then. I'll buy these for now though and I'll work on my deck!" He grinned and thanked the two of them before heading to the line at the register. Sugoroku stepped back out from the back door to see the line at the register and found himself a bit surprised. He had thought they all would have left empty handed as usual. Grinning from ear to ear he quick rang them up and thanked them for their patronage when he finally noticed Atem and Terry.

"Well, well, well! What do we have here? My grandson and a lovely young lady! Haven't we met before? Have you come to accept the offer of keeping me company?" He asked, eyeing her a bit as he leaned in a little too close for comfort. Terry, once again, found herself torn on how to handle him since he was Atem and Yugi's relative.

"I was invited over for dinner." She nervously laughed as she took a step back only for him to step even closer. Atem quickly came between the two, making his grandfather crash into his chest. He saw the trick planned to fall on Terry and get a free feel. Grandfather or not, Atem was not about to let anyone touch her.

"I invited her over for dinner gramps, keep it in your pants." He sighed, shaking his head. "You need to stay out here for customers until the shop closes. I'm taking her back to see mom and Yugi." He scolded his grandfather who scowled and rubbed his nose from hitting the chiseled chest of his grandson over the soft plush chest of his feminine companion.

"It was nice meeting you again." Terry quickly spoke as Atem grabbed her hand and dragged her behind the counter and through a door that was off to the side. He kicked off his shoes and placed them on the rack to the right and she quickly copied his actions. She watched as he looked for something but frowned at he seemed a little frustrated by the lack of whatever it was.

"Ah fuck it, here just use my slippers. Be careful, they're a bit big for you." He placed a pair in front of her and grabbed his father's pair for himself. He stared at them for a long minute as while Terry carefully stepped into the ones he offered her and waited for him.

"Thank you for the slippers," her voice snapped him out of his daze and he shoved his feet into the slippers. They fit him perfectly now and it was a bittersweet moment for him but he quickly hid that from her.

"Just don't go falling in them. You're a magnet for danger so stick close." He flicked her nose playfully and she scowled at the attention.

"That was uncalled for and you know it! Plus, any trouble is usually revolved around you mister!" She rubbed her nose and he laughed.

"Is that so?" He laughed off and led the way to the kitchen. "Hey mom, I brought Terry." He called out as he stepped in ahead of her before stepping aside so his mother could see her. Terry quickly tensed up and bowed to his mother properly as she had learned to do with anyone before moving to Japan with her father.

"Good evening Mrs. Muto it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Terry, I'm a friend of Atem's from school and a friend of Yugi's as well." She calmly spoke though her insides were a jumbled mess of nerves. Her palms were a little sweaty as she gripped her school bag a little too tight.

"Oh no need to be so formal with me, thank you for coming! It's a pleasure to finally meet you!" A sweet voice spoke up as a gentle hand was placed on Terry's shoulder to insist she stand up again. Terry followed the insistence and stuck out the bag of backed goods to her.

"A small token of gratitude for hosting me tonight." Atem noted how nervous she was from how she quickly jumped to the next practiced sentence in her mind. It was cute and he had to bite back his laughter as he secretly locked his pinky with her hand that held her bag to help calm her down a little.

"Oh how thoughtful of you! We actually really love this bakery! I was going to buy something from there for you but I got so busy with preparations I completely forgot! Thank you so much." She smiled warmly as she took the bag and set it on the counter top carefully before looking at the clock. "I've still got some more cooking to do, I'm sorry you'll have to wait a little longer."

"Please don't apologize, I'm more than happy to wait!" Terry firmly assured, nodding her head. "I'll just spend the time with Atem and Yugi."

"Yugi is asleep at the moment, he was so excited for you coming he ran himself tired. He'll be up any time though." She smiled at the thought of her younger son.

"OK, just let him know we're in my room then. We'll see you at dinner mom." Atem grabbed Terry's elbow and pulled her back down the hall and up the stairs they had passed where they left their shoes. She was only able to give a quick 'see you later' to his mother before being dragged off and upstairs. He unceremoniously led her straight to his room, opening the door and letting her step in first.

"You could've been a little more gentle you know." She grumbled at him as she took her first step into the room but quickly took in the details. It was a typical guys room. Posters were up on the walls, games were in one corner by the television and computer desk with his laptop on it. High quality headphones were on the table, his bed was made and there were only a few stray clothes hung on the back of his chair which he picked up while she looked around. There was a full bookshelf but she noted there was a lot of music books among them and she looked to see a sheet over something in the corner by the foot of his bed and the closet. The way the point was shaped instantly made her realize it was his guitar, possibly two from the looks. There was a mini amp chord peeking out from the bottom.

"Your room is very you." She finally spoke up, turning to look at him. "It's nice." She complimented, placing her bag on the floor by the door as he made his way over to the bed and plopped down on to it.

"Thanks, I think?" He chuckled at her words. "Don't just stand there all day, come have a seat." He motioned around the room and she made her way over to the bed as well, plopping down on it as well. She smiled a little to herself as she looked around the room from how he would see it every morning, wondering what he thought about when he first woke up. Whether or not he bumped into anything while heading to the bathroom and the simple minor details of his daily life. "What are you grinning at?" He scowled, pinching her cheek again.

"Nothing," she laughed as she pulled away before his fingers could clamp on too tight. "Just seeing the room from your eyes." She looked around again only to stop at the covered guitars.

"So what do you wanna do?" He asked, not realizing where she was looking as he opened his drawer to see what movies he had to watch but also wanting to make sure anything hidden was still well hidden away.

"Will you play for me?" She suddenly asked and he looked up to see she was looking at his guitars. He tensed a little, preparing to snap at her but the anger never came. The irritation that usually quickly boiled and overflowed inside him was no where to be found. Confused, he stared at the back of her head before looking over at the covered instruments.

"I'm not that great honestly…I haven't played in a long time."

"That's fine, I'm not pro myself. If anything, I can't play a single conventional instrument. I know how to only do specific drum patterns for rituals." She turned back to him, grinning with pride at this oddly specific 'talent' of hers. He could not help but laugh at the fact that this was something she would say and be proud of.

 _You're always such a weirdo…but maybe I'll be nice just this once._  He sighed as he stood up from his bed after kicking the drawer shut. He walked over to the dusty sheet and carefully pulled it off to reveal an acoustic and an electric guitar. His fingers hesitantly grazed the chords on the neck of one, the cool feel giving him a slight shiver. Chewing at the inside of his lip, he debated if he should be doing this. His body acted on its own, grabbing the acoustic one before he even realized he was back on the bed with the strap around him and the instrument properly set on his lap. He looked up to see Terry sitting there patiently and silently, eager to hear him but no sign of rushing him or judging him. The warmth of her smile encouraged him as he took a deep breath and started to fuss with the settings, testing the sounds and fine tuning it to his liking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank your for your patience. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There will definitely be more to come. I've just been a little busy with life and was only able to update this chapter a lot slower than usual.


	61. Feelings

The chords of the song were so beautiful. It was heartbreaking and wonderful, a laughter that was hollow. The tears hidden behind a mask that was an armor. Looking at the world with such turmoil, it was haunting but resonating as it echoed in the room. The first few chords were slow, like walking steps hesitantly in the dark. Afraid of falling and slowly the notes built a spiraling staircase with no walls. An empty vastness with steps that lit up only after placing a foot on it, but not promise of it being able to hold any weight.

Terry silently watched Atem in silence as he played, his eyes glued to the strings. He was afraid to look up just yet. He knew deep down she would never reject him or this sounds of his emotions, however there still was fear. She was human still and judgement was a nasty habit of every single one and especially when you bare your heart out for someone else to see. Nothing was ever strong enough, nothing was good enough. He was never going to be good enough.

Slowly the last note faded into silence between them, Atem’s chest feeling hollow for letting out his caged feelings but it also felt heavy. He fidgeted a bit, tracing the edges of the body a bit as he awaited her response. He flinched a little when he noted her hand moved in his periphery but the sound he heard shocked him. Had he heard wrong? Dare he look up? Biting at his lower lip, he swallowed his fear and looked up and found himself stunned. She was crying.

Terry wiped at her cheeks, silently sniffling in hopes to not be heard by him as her shoulders shook and her chest threatened to shake from the sobs that she choked inside.

“Oh geez, I’m so sorry! I promise it wasn’t bad at all! I’m not, this isn’t what it looks like!” She smiled through the tears. “It was, I mean it is beautiful. I just...wow...it’s so beautiful.” She whispered, sniffling as she looked down at her lap. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be crying….”

“Then why are you?” His voice was a little rough, dry sounding as if he had not drank in days. Moving his guitar off to the side, he hesitantly reached out to her, his fingertips pressing against the outer edge of her right eye. He watched her flinch a little and he withdrew his hand at first but stopped as she looked up at him. “Why are you crying if you shouldn’t be?”

“I… because you won’t cry.” She finally spoke, looking up at him. “That song is how you feel right? You’re afraid to fall… and I’m just left here watching you stand alone.” Her voice started off so soft and fragile but it slowly grew to a more firm and to its usual steadiness. “You’re stuck, standing still. You just need to be brave Atem… you don’t need to be afraid of whatever it is. You’re not alone.” She smiled warmly at him, grabbing the hand he held in the air and squeezing it tight. “You’re not alone at all… I promise you.”

He stared at her, blown by her sincerity. She had no idea what he was going through and yet she knew exactly what to say to him. Exactly what he always wanted to hear and feared was a hopeless fantasy. The little voice in the back of his head was screaming for him to ignore her. That she was a liar and she only meant to confuse him more, reminding him that he was wrong to let her into his life. She was such a storm that blew him away, but the more he was with her the more he found himself actually believe. He opened his mouth to speak but she quickly shook her head.

“You don’t need to say anything. I understand, and I’ll wait for you. I’m okay with being your voice when you don’t know what to say.” She gave such a brilliantly blinding smile he had no idea what to say. Gritting his teeth, he pulled her towards him and wrapped his free arm around her as he hid his face into her shoulder. Turning the hand she held, he gripped hers back and he shook. She felt him shake and it hurt her. Letting him squeeze her, she placed a hand on the back of his head to let him know he could stay there as long as he needed.

How long they sat like this, neither of them had a clue however when Yugi came barging in the room Terry gave a small smile that let him know to be silent. Yugi stared at them with such wide-eyed confusion but when it dawned on him he nodded his head. Closing the door silently, he made his way over to the two and climbed on to the bed and waited, kicking his legs a little.

Slowly, Atem pulled away from Terry and took a few shaky breaths as he mumbled he was fine. Terry silently let him be, smiling all the while when Yugi hopped up from behind her and threw his arms around her neck as he leaned on to her when she sat up again.

“Way to keep her all to yourself! She’s my friend!” He pouted, poking his head out from behind Terry, startling Atem a bit as she laughed and took his weight.

“He came in a few minutes ago and you were sleeping Yugi, what was supposed to do?” She leaned her head back and turned to look at him as best she could, her nose pressed by the younger boy who remained pouting.

“You could’ve woken me up or something! I’ve been waiting for hours!” He puffed his cheeks more as he leaned closer and Terry laughed at how cute he is.

“I heard how much work you put in to this, I couldn’t wake you up! I was just so happy and you must’ve been so tired, I’m sorry.” Yugi finally relented as he plopped on to the bed, crossing his legs and his arms.

“I guess I can forgive you...I did do a lot.” He nodded his head in stern agreement, Terry trying her best to resist hugging him at how adorable he was being at the moment.

“Exactly, so no hard feelings Squirt.” Atem ruffled his hair, Yugi instantly puffed with pride as he grinned at the praise from his brother. Terry smiled at the heartwarming scene as Yugi scooted closer and started to list all that he had done to get all the praise he could from his brother. Atem kept his attention solely on his younger brother, nodding his head while giving occasional verbal responses to let it be known he was paying full attention. “You did  **all** that? I’m impressed, you really are the little man of the household now!” He ruffled his hair once again, much to the younger’s happiness.

“Yeah, just like you were right?!” He grinned broadly, leaning forward on his hands.

“Yeah, just like me.” Atem nodded and Yugi turned to Terry.

“I’m the little man!” He boasted, puffing out his chest.

“I heard, very nice.” She clapped her hands. “I agree one hundred percent, you certainly are the little man! I’m impressed and I can’t wait to try all the food you helped make for me.” She sincerely said, Yugi’s cheeks flushing red at the smile she gave him.

“Y-yeah, well it’s not ready yet! I’ll call you when it’s ready ok?! I gotta help my mom a little more!” With those hasty words, he was out of the room with the door slamming shut behind him. Atem found himself a little conflicted at the fact that his younger brother was showing interest in Terry like that. Of course, he knew it was never any real competition for him but he was more so worried about his little boy heart being hurt.

“Did I say something wrong?” Terry frowned a little at first.

“No, no you did not. More like you said all the right things.” Atem laughed. “Me thinks my little brother is growing a little crush on you. Maybe he’s the one who kissed you in the library huh?” He teased her, nudging her lightly with an elbow.

“Oh yeah,  **totally** ! No way it could be anyone else!” She rolled her eyes and nudged him back. “About that…,” she softly trailed off as she shifted her seating on the bed. Pulling her legs out from underneath her she let herself fall on to her side on the bed.

“What about?”

“I think I’m gonna start looking again. I’m finally out of that little funk I was in.” She traced the simple pattern on his blanket as she carefully pieced her words together. “I really want to know...who did and why. I just...I guess part of it is that it’s my second kiss and well it was done by someone for a reason. I doubt there’s someone just kissing girls throughout school… cause there’d been another case by now at the very least.” She turned her head to look up at him. “Did you see who it was that day?”

“No, I didn’t see who it was.” Atem frowned a little as he looked her in the eyes. “However, whoever it was… I got the feeling they’ll come out and say it on their own you know? Just give them some time.” He moved some of her hair out of her face and gently tucked it behind her ear.

“It wasn’t Seto and it wasn’t Joey for sure, that just leaves two people...and you said you didn’t see who so that really just leaves one person I guess.” She mumbled, a slight sinking feeling settling in her gut. _ Was it really Kyohei? What do I do if it was him? Why did he do it? He’s got something up his sleeve...I just know it. _ She chewed at her lower lip.

“Don’t focus on it too much. You’re probably overthinking something. You have that look on your face when you’re overthinking something and you end up just getting more confused.” He flicked between her furrowed brows. “You should keep that foolish grin on you, like I said. It’s your best look.” He grinned at her as she sat up and rubbed the spot he hit.

“How am I supposed to smile when you do things like that?” She grumbled to herself.

“Easy, just smile because I say so.” He scoffed back, Terry raising a brow at his smug response. She was unable to hide the little laugh in response, smiling in the end. “See?”

“Yeah, yeah!” She tried to shove him in response, but he grabbed her hand and pulled it off course with a cocky grin on his lips. He had not calculated what that would lead to, but was not upset with the turn of events as as she was yanked forward and towards him. She pulled her head back a bit to avoid her face crashing into his at the sudden jerking movement, her eyes wide as she stared up at him. A sudden silence fell between them, his hand holding her wrist as his other snaked around her waist to keep her close. The grin on his face slowly fell as a seriousness settled in his eyes as they flickered over her face which was only a few inches away from him, the two of them practically sharing their breath from how close they were. Her cheeks flushed a soft red as he leaned closer, their eyes half-lidded as he moved closer and helped adjusted her seating, her other hand now firmly propped on the bed just next to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late, I was in a car accident a few weeks back and was in a lot of pain. I'm better now though. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for all your support so far.


	62. Caught Red Faced

Time seemed to slow as their hearts pounded against their chests, blood pumping to their faces. His eyes flicker to hers for a brief moment, not expecting to catch her gaze in the process which only made his face heat up more if possible. Swallowing his inhibitions, he leaned a little closer and watched as she closed her eyes. The flush on her cheeks and the obvious nervous and confusing energy making him feel a little lighter about his own erratic emotions. She flinches a little when his nose touches hers, earning a chuckle from him.

“Are you afraid of me?” He whispered, the thought of her scared of him making his chest squeeze with pain.

“N-no, not you!” She quickly answered, her eyes opening a little when he squeezes her hand that he was still holding. “Just...this is all new to me...I don’t know what to do. I think something is wrong with me.” She frowns.

“Oh? What makes you say that?” His thumb grazed over the back of her hand, the soft gesture calming her nerves a little.

“I don’t know...I might have a fever or something? My heart is pounding and I have elevated blood pressure probably. My face is hot, my throat is dry, my palms are a little sweaty, and I’m having a little trouble breathing...I mean my chest feels tight.” She listed and Atem tried not to laugh, but it was too cute to not.

“You’re such a foolish girl,” he mumbled as he gave her hand a squeeze.

“I’m not foolish! What did I say is foolish?” She argued, about to pull away but is held in place as his other hand combs some of her hair back. A small shiver ripples down her spine as his nails rake against her scalp, the warmth of his palm calming her erratic heart at the moment. She had no idea what to do right now and it only made her all the more nervous.

“You’re always foolish...you’re my foolish girl.” He whispered, resting his forehead to hers. “Leave everything to me. Just close your eyes.” He coaxed her, lulling her eyes shut with his hushed tone as he banked on her trust in him. He is a bit stunned by how easily she listened, the amount of trust she had in him heartwarming. Just as he was about lean in closer, his door is slammed wide open and they both jump and turn to see a broadly grinning Yugi.

“ **Food is ready!** ” He shouted but stopped and stared at the two of them. “Why are your faces all red? Are you sharing secrets without me?! That’s not fair!” He huffed, jumping to his own conclusions as he bounded over to the blushing teenagers.

“W-what? N-no, not at all! We’re not sharing any secrets!” Terry quickly answered as she tried to pull away but Atem only pulled her closer and gave a playful glare to his brother.

“What if we are? I can’t have a secret between me and Terry?”

“What? No fair, Terry is my friend too!” Yugi pouted grabbing Terry’s hand. “Tell me too!”

“Yeah, so? You can have secrets with her too. This is a secret between just me and her. You’ll understand it when you’re older.” Atem chuckled, able to feel the heat radiate of Terry’s face as Yugi whined a little at the lack of being told but begrudgingly gave in as Atem ruffled his hair. “You’ll know it when you’re older, promise.”

“Well I hope my face won’t be as red as your two then! I’m gonna be  **so adult** I won’t be red faced at all!” He crossed his arms as he stood his ground, the two only going redder at the mention of how red they are at the moment.

“Y-you said food was ready right?” Terry finally spoke up again, side tracking the conversation easily as Yugi jumped and nodded his head.

“Oh yeah, food is ready! C’mon, let’s go!” He grabbed her hand once more and Atem’s as well, tugging them to get off the bed.

“Yeah, yeah we’re coming! Just give us a moment!” Atem chuckled as he retrieved his hand. “Go let mom know and make sure gramps is there too ok?”

“ **On it** !” Yugi saluted Atem before he ran out of the room and left the two in silence once more.

“He’s quite the ball of energy, huh?” Terry cleared her throat, sitting up again and adjusting her skirt to make sure she’s properly covered and just to avoid looking at Atem who was also looking around his room with new found interest.

“Y-yeah, always running around and barging in.” He cleared his throat, it looking like he was fascinated with the moulding of the windowsill.  _ Fucking terrible timing too! Dammit I was so close! _ He internally groaned, unable to erase the cute face of hers from moments ago and how close he was to kissing her again and not get hit by her for being a jerk. “We should start to head down though or he’ll come running in again.”

“Yeah, definitely should start heading down or we won’t hear the end of it.” Terry snickered as she got on to her feet but found herself nervous for a whole different reason now.  _ I’m gonna have to actuallys it and talk to his mother won’t I? I mean I don’t plan on ignoring her...but I can’t just avoid conversation either...that’d look weird. What if she doesn’t like me after talking to me? My own mother didn’t even stick around for me. _ She chewed at her lower lip nervously, repeatedly dusting and fixing her clothing. Atem watched as she slowly lost herself in her own thoughts, it very clear what she was thinking about at the moment.

“Oi, what have I told you? Just keep that stupid grin on your face.” He flicked her forehead once again, making her jump from her thoughts at the sudden sting of pain. She scowled at the rude call to attention, rubbing the spot.

“Keep flicking me like that and I’ll end up hitting you!” She grumbled to herself.

“Yeah, yeah, you’ve hit me before already.” He placed his hand on her head and mussed with her hair a bit. “Just relax ok? I’m telling you my mom is going to love you. She’s not as scary as you’re making her out to be, I promise.” He whispered, letting her fix her hair. “Plus, I’m here for you remember? You’re not just sitting there alone...just treat her like you would your dad just with a ‘she’ instead a ‘he’.”

“You’re right, you’re right.” Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her nerves a bit. “I just need to...I don’t want to screw up.”  _ Cause if she dislikes me because of me then it just means I’m the problem and my mom was right to leave. _

“Oi, I told you, smile.” He pinched one of her cheeks. “Don’t make me make you, you know I will just like you made me that one time. Actually,” he smirked as he pinched her other cheek as well and pulled them apart and up. “Ah, revenge can be so sweet!” He laughed as she glared at him but ended up smiling genuinely after a good laugh as she recalled how she had just gone up to him and told him he should smile more one lunch. Fighting to speak, she managed to get him to let go and rubbed her now red from pain cheeks.

“I got it, I got it! Smile, I will!” She mumbled, Atem grinning a little at her agreeing to do so.

“Good,  **now** we can head down. C’mon,” he walked head of her as he led her through the house. He pointed out different rooms here and there as they passed, a mini tour of sorts that helped distract her just enough until they reached the table where everything was set and the three of them are just settling into their seats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year's to everyone. Thank you for you time and support. I hope you have a wonderful new year and continue to enjoy my stories. Please do comment if possible, I'd love to hear what you think so far and you would like to see in a story.


	63. Dinner with the Family

Atem had made sure to take his time on the way to the dining room. Living above the shop made the house a bit odd but it was comfortable to him. The front of the house was actually the back of the building and the back half of the ground floor was part of the house while the front eas all storage and the shop. He glanced over at Terry who stood there frozen in the doorway a little behind him. The fact she was actually afraid of something was surprising to him, and the fact that he knew it was his mother made it a little funny to him. He said nothing though, watching her fidget a little, memorizing the rare expression. He wanted to memorize everything about her, the good and bad.

“Well, shall we go inside?” He finally spoke up, snapping her from her thoughts. Seeing her practically jump out of her skin was bittersweet. On one hand he wanted to hold her and the other he wanted to laugh at how adorably cute she was being. His small mother was nothing but concentrated motherly kindness and Terry’s fear of her was a bit odd to him. He understood why though and was not going to deny her feelings. Grabbing her hand, he gave it a light squeeze.

Terry looked up at the squeeze and smiled a little meekly, taking a deep breath before letting Atem lead her into the room.

“Ah, there you two are! I was just about to send Yugi to come get you. Please, come sit! Do want anything specific to drink?” She looked to Terry, half raised from her seat.

“Oh, no! Water is perfectly fine, thank you very much.” She carefully bowed.  _ Is it 30 degrees or 45 degrees? I brought sweets...wait did I bow before? What do I do if I didn’t? Should I apologize? What do I do?! _ She internally panicked for a moment when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Terry, you can stand!” Atem lightly shook her shoulder. It seemed she was lost in her head and had not heard her mother insisting she not bow and to just have a seat and enjoy the food.  _ You really are a foolish girl. _ He bit his lip to hide his laughter as he motioned her to a seat next to Yugi who had purposely sat in the middle. As much as he disliked the arrangement, he also found it endearing.

“Here, you can sit here on my left and big brother can sit on my right!” Yugi grinned broadly, it obvious he wanted to sit next to both of them without compromise.

_ Cockblocked by my brother how many times now? _ He sighed as he ruffled Yugi’s head.  _ I can’t wait until you’re old enough to get some loving brotherly revenge! _

As everyone settled once again in their seats, the food was passed around and everyone started to fill their plates with the sides and main dishes with Yugi narrating all the while of what he had done and chosen along with detailing what was his favorite and which was Atem’s favorite. The banter was a bit much, but Atem could see it helped Terry relax so he had not said much. He silently watched the two interact and it struck him how he never had someone over that honestly enjoyed his younger brother’s attention. Kyohei and Anzu hardly cared for him, in fact they crossed the line often with him and Atem had to step up. He stopped bringing the two around at all to avoid any trouble.

_ They were pretty shitty to my family as a whole now that I’m thinking about it...damn, did I really not see that? _ He frowned to himself, stopping mid-bite as he thought over the times the two had interacted with his mother or grandfather. The guilt that built up quickly grew into anger at himself and the two of them, his anger bubbling to an almost visible point as he grit his teeth and clenched his left hand on his lap away from sight when he felt a hand suddenly touch it. He glanced down and followed the arm to Terry who was eating with her left hand.  _ She’s left handed...that’s right. _ He thought, it someone he knew about her that he never realized he took note of until just now.

“Everything ok Atem?” His mom asked and he quickly turned to give her a convincing smile which was actually more honest that he thought it would be.

_ To think I’d be so easily comforted by a simple touch like this. Damn...how do you not see how you leave me so breathless?! _ He wondered to himself as he glanced at Terry only to catch her smiling at him. His cheek burned a light red as he turned back to his food. It was always so dark in his head and heart, yet here he was filled with something so light. Everything was always such a blur but not he was so keenly aware of minor things. It made him wonder where they would go.  _ Falling feels a lot like flying if it’s supposed to be like this.  _

Terry had been aware of the changing mood of Atem. She always found herself looking for him more and more. Since the first day she had been looking for him. In the beginning it was more so for her to avoid him, however slowly it became something more. Now she actually worried about him. Wanted to see what he was up to and to just watch him. Seeing him gave her an odd sense of comfort now and it was odd to think people who were so at odds would one day be as they are. The more she watched, the more she learned about him. She now could tell how he was feeling and how contrarian he tended to be at times. It was cuts to see him flustered and it unsettled her to see him upset. With one look she knew he was upset and she acted without thought, reaching for his fist to give some ease as he was giving her.

“So Terry, how have you liked school here? Atem’s told me that you’re a new student? You’re from overseas?” His mother’s voice suddenly spoke up again, snapping the two from their little silent world.

“Me?!” She squeaked out as she pulled her hand away from Atem and Yugi snickered

“You’re the only Terry here.” He teased, making her laugh a little.

“Y-yeah, of course! Uhm, yes I’m from overseas technically...I lived aboard most of my life though I was born here in Japan. My father thought it best I experience at least my final year of high school in an actual school and get to know people my age and normal life since my life was not so normal.” She replied, her voice a little shaky as she tried to speak as properly as possible.

“Oh my, you’re a lot more polite than I thought. From what my boys tell me, I imagined you a little different...but maybe you’re just being courteous of me? You needn’t be so, I’m their mother after all!” She kindly laughed, it clear she wanted Terry to be at ease and was not offended by her being so stiff.

“I, you, well...I’m sorry...thank you.” Terry stumbled a bit on her own words, looking down at her plate. Part of her wanted to explain the situation to the kind woman, but she knew that was hardly appropriate to say all of the sudden.

“No need to apologize, you haven’t done anything. In fact, I should be thanking you for taking such good care of my boys! I heard what you’ve done for Yugi and Atem’s said some things here and there about how you’ve been helping him as well. They’re such handfuls sometimes, but they’re my handfuls and I love them.”

“Mooooom,” the two boys groan in protest at how she spoke of them, essentially letting Terry know they spoke about her, and often enough for their mother to know a good enough amount.

“Now, now, none of that at the table you two!” She firmly scolded them before looking to Terry once again. “Thank you for taking such good care and please continue to do so.”

“Not at all, it’s been my pleasure! I’m happy to have met them both, I hope Atem continues to care for me as well. I’m in his care more than he really knows since I’m always doing something without thinking all the way from time to time since life is so different here.” Terry nervously laughed as she thought of the many embarrassing moments she had in the start of her life here.

“From the life I’ve heard you led, it’s understandable that how we all live would be confusing! I’m surprised you don’t find it a lot more boring after living with such action and adventure. My father-in-law was a an archaeologist as well in his younger years.” She motioned to Sugoroku who took the chance to snatch up Terry’s free hand.

“It must be fate that a lovely young maiden such as yourself met my handsome grandson. We were destined to meet, such a young vivacious beauty with young blood is just what the doctor ordered for a dashing old man like myself!”

“Ah...I...well I’m sure being their friend I’d eventually meet you yes...but I hardly would call it destiny.” Terry tried to be kind to the elderly man, pulling her hand away only for him to snatch it up once more and lean closer still.  _ Oh boy, not this again! What do I do?! _

“No need to be so shy, you must feel it too! Don’t mind the children at the table, how about after dinner you and I have a more adult conversation just the two of us hm?” He offered, insisting once more and Atem quickly stepped in once again as he pulled Terry’s hand away and leaned over from behind her to come nose to nose with his grandfather.

“That’s enough outta you old man! Can’t you just leave her be, she’s here to spend time with me not babysit you!” He scowled.

“Oh ho, is that so? Are you sure she wouldn’t enjoy a more mature company?” He tried to peek at Terry but Atem easily intercepted him.

“Mature?” He scoffed. “More like geezer and no, she’s perfectly fine with the company she has.”

“Yeah, don’t be weird Grandpa! You’ll scare her away and she’ll never come back again!” Yugi puffed his cheeks as he threw his arms around Terry and hugged her as best as his arms would let him from where he sat.

“What? How cruel, to have my two grandsons attack me so!” Sugoroku hid behind his arm and sniffled before looking at them with tears in his eyes.

“Those are your eyedrops! You can’t fool me Grandpa!” Yugi huffed as Atem plucked the bottle from the inside of his sleeve.

“Yeah, nice try Gramps. You used this way too much with us. Now just leave her be and let us all eat in peace or I’m gonna have to move her far away from you by taking her back to my room or something!” He scowled.

“Now, now, please all of you! We have a guest!” Mrs. Muto quickly tried to settle the three but was surprised just like them at the sound of laughter. They all turned to see Terry who was completely at ease and in fact enjoying the banter.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be laughing! It’s just, you’re all so lively and fun! You all really do love each other too, but that tears trick was just too cute and funny.” She snickered, Sugoroku about to jump at this chance of being called cute but was face to face with both grandsons instead.

“He’s not cute, he’s old and wrinkly and weird!” Yugi puffed his cheeks. “ **I’m** cute!”

“Yeah, you can’t call someone like him cute!” Atem agreed, the two upset with Terry now it seemed and she quickly tried to pacify the two.

“He is cute in an elderly and grandfatherly way Yugi, you’re cute in an lively and boyish way.” She clarified, Yugi giving a small ‘oh’ as he settled in his seat again.

“And what about me?” Atem’s voice suddenly rumbled in her ear and she jumped a bit seeing him suddenly so close to him. His azure eyes were piercing through her and she felt herself fumbling for words. “Am I cute to you?”

“Uhm... yes?” She whispered, her throat suddenly a little dry.

“Oh, how so? You told them in what way, only fair you tell me too.” He hummed, noting her ears were a little red and it was growing down to her cheeks and neck. He smirked a little at this reaction, wanting nothing more than to tease her more and forgetting where the two were currently.

“How so? Uhm, well, you’re just...you know.” She managed to mumble out, her heart hammering at her ribs as the almost kiss played over and over in her mind at the moment no matter how many times she tried to squash it.

“No, I don’t know. Please do elaborate for me Terry.” He smirked, chuckling as she glared at him while her face grew redder.

“Cute in a more, uhm, mature and cool way!” She tried to sound firm but it came out in an almost barely there whisper. “You happy now?!” She huffed. Atem leaned closer as if to kiss her and she closed her eyes tight. A sharp clearing of a throat from his mother stopped him as he shifted gears quickly and bit her nose playfully instead.

“Pfft, look at you closing your eyes like that! What were you expecting?” He laughed as she jumped at the bite. She gaped at him, utterly speechless as he stood there so full of himself and smug.

“You, I swear!” She puffed her cheeks, crossing her arms. He laughed, reaching out to poke one of her bubbled cheeks but was met with her teeth that caught his finger. “Now we’re ewen!” She managed to say, it obvious she had forgotten where she was because when his mother spoke up her face had went from pale to red in a matter of moments.

“Well now, it’s clear you know how to handle these two quite well indeed! I’m glad, now if you all can leave her alone! I would love she could enjoy the meal Yugi and I made her.” She scolded the three boys who uniformly apologized and began to eat as well Giving a warm smile to Terry, she resumed her own food as well before Terry hid her face to focus on her food. It tasted delicious, but she was unable to remember the first few bites because of how embarrassed she was for doing all that.


	64. Mr. Muto

As soon as dinner was done, Terry tried her very best to help with the dishes. However, the boys had taken the lead on this and assured her that she simply relax and wait for them to finish. When she tried to stand in protest, Yugi and pushed his face up close to hers so much so that their noses were touching and she had to sit back in her seat.

“You’re our guest, no doing anything! Don’t worry, we have an awesome dessert ready!” He scolded at first but soon was grinning from ear to ear. “Be good and I’ll make sure you get a big serving!” He quickly looked around before whispering this reward to her. “Mom makes the best, you’ll thank me later.” Terry found herself at a loss on argument, giving in with a small smile as she nodded in agreement.

“Alright, I’ll be good. You better give me a big serving, promise?” She whispered back. Excited with her agreement Yugi stuck out his pinkie.

“I promise!” He hooked his chubby little one around hes and gave a firm nod. “Alright, don’t go anywhere! We’ll be right back ok? If grandpa gets annoying you can just tell him to leave you alone! He’ll probably use tear drops to cry and make you feel bad. Don’t fall for it at all! I used to all the time,” he grumbled on as he hopped out of his seat. “I ended up doing a bunch of chores for him that mom asked him to do! He’ll probably make you wanna do his chores too so don’t fall for it!”

_ Oh if only he were simply requesting chores like that from me. _ She gave the best smile she could at the moment as she recalled all of the strong encounters she has had with the elder. “I’ll be sure to tell him no and I’ll make sure that he knows I’ll tell you so he won’t try fake tears.”

“Good idea, and if he gets super trick you can use Atem’s name!” He nodded his head once more. “Alright I gotta dry the dishes now! I’ll be back soon!” He ran off to the kitchen, leaving Terry to sit alone at the once full table. She looked around at the decor of the room. It all had a warm and home touch, different from her own home but very much the same when it came to the comforting and warmth. 

On a side table nearby she noticed a small line of picture frames and in each she noticed Atem, Yugi, their mother, their grandfather, and someone else. Curious, she got up from her chair and headed over to the photos. She picked up a large family photo.

_ That’s Atem for sure...but with such a smile? It’s so carefree...and happy. I wonder if he could still smile like that. Hah, his tooth is missing too! _ She bit back her laughter as she looked to Mrs. Muto, Sugoroku, and then a strapping young man next to his mother.  _ That must be his father. Speaking of which, I haven’t seen him at all. _ She realized, frowning a little at this.

“That’s one of my favorite pictures.” Terry jumped at the sudden voice from beside her, fumbling to catch the frame but managed to keep it safe.

“M-Mr. Sugoroku, you really gave me a scare there!” She sighed, placing the frame back in its place.

“My apologies,” he chuckled softly as he looked at the photo she placed back. “Ah, it’s been two years now...time simply just ticks on by doesn’t it?” He hummed, rubbing his thumb on the glass.

“Two years…?”

“Ah, that’s right. You probably don’t know. My son, their father, passed away two years ago.” It’s been a little over two years now to be exact. It was such an unfortunate accident, but had he not...well, I imagine Atem would not be here.” Terry felt her heart stop at the words, the thought of Atem not being around painful.

“What do you mean? I, no, I’m sorry...I shouldn’t ask. It’s not my place.” She quickly stopped herself, looking back at the photo.

“Not your place? Hmm, I do wonder about that. I haven’t seen that boy so lively in...well two years!” He hummed, motioning for Terry to follow him. She followed him to the living room, taking a seat on the sofa as Sugoroku settled into the one seater couch. With a satisfied sigh he melted a little into the cushion and sat in silence. Reveling in the much needed comfort, he closed his eyes. Terry silently watched, amused at the blissful expression at such simple comfort. “Now, where were we?” He hummed to life, sitting up a bit as he turned to look at her. “It was at the first few months of his first year in high school. Atem had been hanging out with his friend Jonouchi after school. Some punks started picking a fight, or at least tried to but he wasn’t responding. My son had been heading home early from work that day and saw the commotion from across the street. From what I’ve heard, Atem was shoved out into traffic and my son ran across to push him back on to the sidewalk. He was hit by the car that would’ve hit Atem. He was taken to the hospital and for some time it was a lot of touch and go.” Terry noticed the raspy old tone of his voice soon became more and more gravely as he spoke. His eyes were misted over unlike before with the fake tears and she knew he was in serious pain. She carefully stood up from her seat and knelt beside the grieving elder as she placed her hand over one of his.

“There is not a day that goes by that I don’t feel angry over the loss of my son...not at Atem though. Never have I ever blamed that boy, my darling grandson was saved that day and I know my son would do the same all over again if it came to it. It’s those brats that ran off...if I ever found them, I-I...I don’t know what I’d do. An old bag of bones like me can’t do much.” He sighed, rubbing the tears from his eyes. “Anyway, that is...we lost him because of the accident and it seemed like we had lost Atem just s well. However, you’ve been bringing him back to us without even realizing it. You may not have known...but your arrival was on the anniversary of the accident. He was particularly cross that day with everyone...and when he came home, it was different. He was angry yes, but it was not the same dark brooding. We all thought maybe he was slowly accepting it...but it was in fact just you coming into his life.” He smiled and placed his other hand over hers. “Please, keep taking care of our Atem.”

“I didn’t do anything...I only made him angrier that day.” She laughed off, shaking her head lightly as she gave a genuine smile. “I will, I promise. He’s someone...very important to me now. Even if you didn’t ask, I would’ve been doing as I always been.” Sugoroku smiled at this.

“Terry, where’d you go!?” They turn at the sound of Yugi’s voice to see him holding a tray of desserts. “There you are! Did grandpa do anything?” He frowned as he set the tray down.

“No, no, not at all. He was just telling me a little bit about everyone is all.” Terry laughed, taking her seat on the sofa once more,

“Oh ok, good! Here you are, mom’s super fantastic flan!” He grinned from ear to ear as he handed the two of them a bowl. “Atem’s coming too, he’s grabbing some tea.” He offered, hopping onto the sofa just as Atem came around the corner. Terry smiled at him, about to move from her seat so he could sit but he quickly shook his head.

“Stay, I’ll justs it on the floor.” He sat beside her legs and rested his head against her knee. She was a little surprised by him being so carefree in the open.

_ We’re in his house though, he’s probably more relaxed here than at school. _ Shelet the topic slide as she grabbed her pudding. Mrs. Muto joined them as soon as she was done drying her hands and they all comfortably sat enjoying the subtle and sweet pudding like treat which Terry agreed with Yugi on how delicious it was. A light conversation quickly unfolded from their as their asked about school and what was die to each of the boys. She scolded them openly as if Terry was not there, much to the two boys’ embarrassment.

Yugi twisted and turned on the sofa as he openly groaned for his mother to stop while Atem just hid his face against Terry’s leg and mumbled something incoherent which left Terry laughing at their expense. Mrs. Muto was quick to see what had gotten into them since they normally were nothing like this and was soon apologizing to Terry who assured her all was well.

_ No it isn’t. Do you just like watching me being tortured? _ Atem grumbled, pressing a mindless kiss to the outside of her knee before biting at the spot and looking up at her with a glare. She snickered at his behavior, poking his forehead lightly as she silently resumed her sweet. Mrs. Muto pulled Terry into the conversations that followed, asking her all sorts of questions about her life to which Terry happily answered and gave the same recounts given to her classmates. She censored a little more details for the current audience, Sugoroku easily catching them from experience while Atem knew from having heard the tales before. He smiled a little to himself as she slowly relaxed around his mother, oblivious to the fact that his warmth was support enough for her to try and step out of her worries.

At the strike of ten, Mrs. Muto had realized the time had gotten away from them and soon was insisting Terry either go home now or spend the night with them. Not wanting to impose, Terry assured her that she had someone to pick her up.

“Jonouchi as well as Marik and his family live with me and my father now and they said they insisted I get picked up when I leave.” She assured, fishing her phone out of her pocket to text them that she was going to get ready to leave soon. The two had responded in an instant of coming to get her. “Yeah, they’ll come get me. I just feel bad they should come walking all this way. Maybe I’ll meet them halfway. There’s a point on the way from school where we split up.” She motioned to Atem as she spoke.

“I’ll walk you to the point then. I’ll text them the details. You just make sure you have everything. I’m just gonna get changed and we can head out.” He stood up from his seat, heading up before she could say anything.

“That’s an excellent idea,” Mrs. Muto agreed to make sure Terry was unable to argue. She was a little surprised by her son’s willingness to offer and on his own accord, but it was a pleasant surprise.It had been a long time since Atem showed anything outside of anger or apathy towards others. She knew it was out of hurt and she felt so helpless as a mother who was unable to reach out and help him. He had walled himself away from her and try as she might, he kept rebuilding where she had dismantled. She never gave up though and now there was someone who could help her. “It was a pleasure to meet you Terry, please do come over whenever you like Much like how Atem us welcomed in your home, you are more than welcomed here as well. Jonouchi and Marik as well! Don’t be a stranger alright? Having another woman in the house is so refreshing!” She smiled warmly at Terry who nodded her head in agreement.

“Definitely, thank you for having me. It was a great pleasure being here!”

“Yeah, come again ok?” Yugi jumped into the conversation, grabbing his mother’s hand.

“Of course, how can I not visit my friend!” Yugi beamed at this, puffing his chest with pride at her calling him a friend.

“Yes, do come again.” Sugoroku grabbed a hold of her hand. “Though we must part, my heart will yearn for you until we meet again!” He tried to step closer but Terry had been yanked away by a force and they all turn to see Atem back dressed in casual clothes.

“Alright, let’s head out already. Can’t keep my eyes off of you for a minute you lecherous old man.” He muttered under his breath as he pulled Terry to the door and she hastily said a final round of goodbyes.

“Oi, let me at least put my shoes on!” Yanking her arm free, she gave him a stern glare as she grabbed her shoes and slipped them on. “You complain about my running all the time and yet here you are, running yourself!” She rolled her eyes, Atem scowling at her words.

“Well maybe it’s become a nasty habit because of a certain someone.”

“Don’t be so rude, maybe it’s a secret thrill more so than a nasty habit. For all your complaints you’re still there running.” She lightly elbowed him as they stepped out of the house.

“Cheeky as always I see.” He chuckled. “We’re off, I’ll text you guys when I’m on my way back home.” He called out, the rest of the Mutos watching the two in amusement as they wave them off.


	65. Walking Home

The two walked side-by-side in silence as they left around the ‘back’ to walk toward the storefront. The half-moon and stars lit up the night, giving just enough illumination to see a little ways ahead but shadows still loomed at the edges. Unsure of which way to go, Terry fell back a step to follow Atem without losing sight of the ground. He had noticed her falling back so he turned his head back and looked at her with a cocked brow. Her gaze was concentrated on their feet though.

_ Ah, she doesn’t want to get lost or trip up. _ He realized, looking ahead to see that it got darker down the road. He stopped abruptly, her head knocking into the back of his arm, the impact startling her enough to stumble back a little.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t see you stop. Everything ok?” She quickly stepped up next to him, looking around before looking to him. “Or did you forget something?” She looked up at him, waiting for him to respond in some way. She had not expected how he would as his hand grabbed a hold of hers. He gave it a slight squeeze, his head turned away and shoulders rigid. She quietly stared at their joined hands before peeking up him. She tried to get a look at his face, but she knew if she showed it he would only pull away.  _ How do I get him to look at me? _ She wondered, pursing her lips a bit as she wrinkled her nose in thought when an idea suddenly hit her. Glancing down at their hands, she gave his a squeeze.

_ Quit staring at me will you?! You should get it by now! Dammit, you just love seeing me flustered don’t you? _ He grumbled a bit to himself, keeping his head as turned as he could from her to avoid her seeing his face. He knew his cheeks were red from how they were against the cool air of the night.  _ Ugh, what the fuck is wrong with me? I’m not some little grade schooler! I’ve done way more than held a girl’s hand before, so why the fuck am I so nervous holding hers? _ He criticized himself, taking a few secret breaths to calm himself when she squeezed his hand. He jumped at the sudden sensation, snapping his head around to see her smiling up at him.

The sight of her in moonlight was nothing like the overly romanticized scenes in literature or movies. She was average, half hidden by the darkness but illuminated in areas. It was something far greater, beautiful perfection. Mysterious, alluring, welcoming, cruel, aggravating, confusing, and everything in between. She was everything and nothing in this moment, she was  simply her and that was everything for him. She was there, she was real. Not some model beauty on a brig screen or a expertly printed words hidden in a book. She was living, breathing, and here without wanting anything from him or expecting much anything beyond him.

She noticed his lips quirk up in the edges in a smile, her own smile growing as they turned and resumed their walk to the meeting point. She swung their hands a little, the little warmth from his hand was just enough in the crisp night air. There was a little nip, but nothing that warranted layer at all. Though, the heat was more than welcomed. She felt her own cheeks were a bit warm too, but she knew why that was.

“Still afraid of my mom?” He chuckled.

“I wasn’t **afraid** **of** her, I was **afraid of screwing up**.” She scowled at him, whacking his arm. “I told you about the luck I’ve had with my own mother...can you blame me?”

“Nah, I was just picking on you. Revenge for all your laughing when she was scolding me and Yugi while we had dessert.” He stuck his tongue out at her. “Did you have fun?” He cleared his throat a little before he spoke, letting her swing their hands.

“I did, I still am if I’m honest. I didn’t think to ask you to walk me, I’m glad you did though. It was great seeing Yugi again and...certainly a whirlwind meeting your grandfather.” She laughed nervously at the latter thought.

“Yeah, sorry about him...he’s just a perverted old geezer.” He sighed in exasperation, ruffling his hair a bit. “He’s been that way as long as I’ve been alive that’s for sure. You don’t have to be so nice to him, tell him to fuck off if he bugs you.”

“I can’t do that! He’s a different character yeah, but he hasn’t exactly  **done** anything. I think it’s all a front really. Well, for now anyway...if he does get too friendly Yugi said I should give your name.” She chuckled, remembering the ‘tips’ she was given by the youngest Muto.

“Do it,” Atem agreed. “Tell him you’ll tell me or whatever you think will work to get him to stop. I don’t mind. I’m more than willing to step in as is, so just use it.”

“Oh ok, I’ll do that then.” She smiled softly at him, looking down at her feet, her mind drifting back to the moment in his bedroom before Yugi had come bursting in on them. Her heart thumped a bit at the thought of him so close, the feelings all so new to her. She had an inkling of what they were, but at the same time she felt at a loss as well. She shifted a little closer to him without thinking, their arms no longer swinging from how much closer they are.

He tensed at her moving closer, his breath hitching a bit as he quickly glanced at her. The tops of her cheeks looked red, but he was not really all that sure. He wanted to know for sure, but he liked her closer still. He was torn between proximity and curiosity and it was killing him slowly on the inside. Shaking off the need to look, he squeezed her hand to let her know he was fine He pulled out his cell phone with his free hand to look at the time, a lack of text from the guys not all that surprising. He had not sent a text to let them know. He wanted some more time with her alone without anymore interruptions. Even if it was only a handful of minutes. 

“They’re running late so why don’t we take a seat at that bench over there?” He pointed out as they reached the meeting spot. Terry nodded her head in response, the two quickly crossing the street and settling on the bench.

“You figure out who was your kiss stealer?” He asked, nudging her lightly.

“No, not yet...I haven’t really been looking as much as I should have. I was...I guess the thing with Kaiba really did throw me for a loop. More of one than I thought.” She admitted, biting at her lower. “I know it wasn’t him though...and that really only leaves one person I think.” She mumbled. “I kinda hoped for something I think...I didn’t even realize I was hoping for something.” She hummed, looking up at the sky. “I’ll confront him at school when I see him I think...only place I ever see him.”

“Is that so? You sure you know who it is?” Atem frowned at this bit of information.

“Well, unless I overlooked something, I’m a good 90% sure of who it is at this moment.” She nodded her head lightly as he quickly skimmed what information she had gathered over the time.

“Hm, well, definitely think it over a bit more? Why not show him that you’re still looking for him? That way he approaches you or something?” He offered.

“You think so?”

“Better than you finding out you’re 10% wrong was a bigger mistake than you realized. I mean think about how someone you confront is actually not him at all.”

“I never thought of it like that...oh geez, that would be a mess!” She frowned. “I guess you’re right then.” She nodded her head. “I guess I’m going back to the library then. You’ll be at practice so I can update you afterwards if you like.”

“You better, I wanna know what you think about all this.” He rested his head on top of hers, slipping his arm around her without an ounce or worry or hesitation. She slid closer to him, smiling a little to herself as they sat in comfortable silence. He glanced down at his phone as she slipped into the depths of her mind, knowing that look of when she was deep in thought. Quickly, he sent a text to Marik and Jonouchi to let them know they had left his house and were heading to the the spot they split up. The text back was a quick one with a thanks for walking her over halfway. He sent a simple response for them to not think much of it, though the responses back were more of a teasing nature of how they would take their sweet time heading over. Scowling, he pocketed the device and shifted a bit to get more comfortable with her on the bench. She glanced up at him in question but with a slight shake of his head she was back in her own world and he was alright with that.


	66. Pick Up

The comfortable silence stretched between them as they awaited the arrival of the change of hand escorts. Atem observed the various slight change of expressions of her face at each passing thought, amused by some and concerned with others. They were cute for the most part, but the darker ones made his chest constrict and a wave of protective nature wash over him. The sudden rouge on her cheeks was surprising though, it was different from the other emotions and it made him curious. His chest tightened in a different way as he wondered what she was thinking about.

_ Maybe...it’s about earlier? _ He hoped.  _ What if it’s about the guy who kissed her? _ His heart beat against his ribs a bit as he considered the possibilities of why she was blushing. Chewing at his lower lip, he forced himself to look away.  _ Why would she ever think of  _ **_you_ ** _? You’re nothing but bad luck, a spineless whimp! She’s probably hoping Kaiba kissed her but  _ **_you_ ** _ stepped in and made shit all awkward. _ The annoying voice was back in his mind. His jaw tightened as he tried to ignore it, but it only seemed to make it sing louder in his mind, chanting the insults with glee at being heard once again after so long.

“Uh, Atem? Hey, Atem...everything ok? Do you need to head back? Did you forget something?” Terry’s concerned voice quickly pulled him from the spiral he was about to slip down, making him jump a bit in shock.

“Huh?”

“Do you need to head home? You look like you just remembered something serious.” She frowned. “You can head back if you need to, I’m sure they’ll be here any minute now.”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing. I just, I was just...some annoying thoughts.” He shook his head lightly and smiled at her. “I’ve got nothing to do, I’m waiting until they come.” He firmly spoke, looking her in the eyes so she knew he meant it.

“Do you want to talk about what’s on your mind though? I know something was bugging you at the least and I want you to know that I’m here for you. You can tell me anything and I won’t ever judge you...promise.” She smiled warmly at him, sitting up a bit so she should turn to face him on the bench. Atem stared at her for long moment.

_ What does she mean by that? Does she want something or want me to say something specific? Can I really just say what’s on my mind? _ He searched her for some sort of clue of what she was asking and if this truly was a free range moment and if this free range was open always. “Really? Always?”

“Always,” she nodded her head. “Without a doubt, whenever you need someone just let me know! I’ll do my best to be available, but I’ll always listen.” She earnestly spoke, leaning towards him. Atem frowned a little at first, mulling over how ready he was to open up to her just yet. As comforting and trustworthy as she was, he was just not there yet.

“I,” he started but then suddenly stopped before giving a big sigh. “I...know you’ll listen to me but I...I’m just not there yet to say it.” He hung his head lightly, unable to look at her and see if there would be some disappointment.

“That’s ok, you tell me whenever you’re ready.” She cupped the side of his face, making him look back at her. “It’s ok if you’re not ready now, tomorrow, or three years from now. Once you’re ready, I’ll be here waiting to listen if and when you need someone.” She smiled warmly, resting her forehead against his. “You’re good, just take your time ok?”

“Y-yeah,” he mumbled as calmly as he could. His heart hammered at his chest as she leaned in so close to him. Her breath was warm and she smelled of something floral, sweet, and lots of spicet, it was a subtle scent that he knew well by now: rose with some undertones of vanilla beyond all the spice that always surrounded her. It was something that grounded and excited him in ways nothing else ever had. Placing a hand over hers that held his face, he took in a shaky breath and closed his eyes for a moment before looking at her again. “There is something actually,” he whispered as he tilted his head to the side and leaned in closer to her.

Terry’s heart sped up as his voice dropped, her body shaking a little from the cold as well as the shiver brought on by the deep hushed tone of his voice. She tried to pull away from him, her cheeks turning red when he opened his eyes again, but the squeeze to her hand held her in place. The depth of his eyes beckoned her closer as her heart began to thump loudly against her chest. She swallowed what saliva she could, her mouth suddenly feeling a little too dry as he closed the gap between them. Squeezing her eyes shut, her body tensed a little. Something smooth and warm was pressed against hers. Her heart leapt in her throat as he pulls away only to bring his lips back to hers, fitting them a little better. Unsure of what to do, she gripped at his jacket with her free hand while the one cupping his cheek was held tight by his. It was nothing like the first kiss he had forced.

Pulling away once more, he looked her in the eyes, smirking at the cute confusion and red cheeks that he sees. She bites at her lower lip, unsure of what to do or say as he rests his forehead against hers once more.

“W-what was that for?!” She finally managed to get her voice working again.

“Hmm...I wonder, but where’s the fun in just telling you?” He teased, stealing a quick kiss from her. “I like it though...don’t you?” He asked, her face going redder still at his sudden confession and asking her.

“I, that's not the point right now! It can be misleading if you don’t explain. I could take it anyway.”

“So? Think what you want, I doubt you’ll be wrong if that’s your mindset.” He chuckled lightly, the confidence stunning her silent. Feeling her cheeks redden more, she clears her throat a bit before shoving at his shoulders with no strength.

“What do you mean by that?! You can’t just, ugh!” She scowled, shoving him away but he quickly caught her by the wrists. “You do realize this is all new to me?”

“Yeah, well just keep it in mind.” He whispered softly, chuckling as he pulled her into a hug. “We can take our time and I’ll show you everything slow and with excellent detail...just keep smiling that dowpy smile of yours.” She was glad he was unable to see her face, knowing full well she was unable to hide her smile at the warmth he was showing her by letting her take the time she needed to reach him in her own pace.

“Well, well, well,” a familiar voice called out from behind the bench. “ **What do we have here** ?”

Terry quickly pulled away from Atem to see Jonouchi and Marik walking up to them.

“Took you guys long enough to get here. You should’ve told me, I would’ve walked home! Atem’s been sitting here with me this whole time!”

“Well, it sure doesn’t look like he minded it at all.” Marik hummed, noting the scowl on Atem’s face. “Are we intruding on something good sir?” He teased, earning a glare.

“Screw you, you guys took your sweet ass time. I should’ve just walked her all the way home instead!” He flipped Marik off, trying to act like nothing had gone on between them but the boys were not about to let him off easy.

“Yeah, we figured you’d want some alone time.” Jonouchi grinned from ear to ear, leaning in closer to Atem who let out a low growl.

“You guys took your time on purpose?” She frowned at this, crossing her arms. “You realize he has to walk back home too right? Did you even think about the fact he has to walk home alone? You’re lucky it’s not too cold out you know.” Marik and Jonouchi look to one another as they get scolded by Terry, only to grin and step closer to her.

“You say this, but your face is so red.” Jonouchi poked at her left cheek while Marik poked at her right.

“And so warm too! You’re scolding us, but clearly us being late was a good thing more so than a bad thing.” Marik snickered.

“You both are just seeing things!” She huffed, pushing their fingers away from her face only to be met by their other hand. “Hey, quit it! Seriously guys, you shouldn’t have made him wait!” She tried to scold them but the two were not listening.

“Oi, leave her alone guys.” Atem suddenly pulled her back on to his chest and away from them with his arm wrapped around her waist. “If you want to pick on someone, pick on me. Leave her alone. This is all new for her and you know it.” The two look at one another again, both with similar shocked expressions before looking back to the pair before them. Terry was redder than before and Atem was standing tall with a slight puff in his chest.

“Our little girl is finally growing up!” Marik sniffled, Jonouchi fake sobbing into his hands as Terry and Atem both go red at this and scowl.

“Ok, seriously, quit it already!” They shout.


	67. Breakfast

"Where does the time go?" Jonouchi 'bawled' into his hands as Marik rubbed his back and nodded in solemn understanding.

"I know, I know," he purposely cracked his voice before quickly turning away with a quick apology. "I just, I just need a minute! One minute you're saving them from quicksand and the next they're off running with some bad boy!" He threw his face into his elbow.

"Quicksand, what?!" Atem gaped, unsure how he should feel as the list grew from sand to a nest of scorpions, cobras, tomb raiders, and thieves. He looked at Terry who was not refuting any of the claims for being true and it only made him realize once again just how strange of a person she was.  _That just makes her hotter though, geez the fuck is wrong with me?!_  He quickly looked away to try and quell the sudden stir of emotions inside of him.

"That was like one time and I was like seven!" Terry groaned. "Don't make me talk about Layla!" She puffed her cheeks, her words unheard as Marik lamented on about how his little girl was now a young lady.

"You think they'd just be running from thugs forever!" Jonouchi added, the two throwing their arms around one another as they cried in mutual anguish.

"Oh good grief," she threw her head back with a hand rubbing down her face. "I swear, are you trying to make me look worse or what? I ran from thugs like once here!"

"What do you mean once here?" Atem raised a brow at this. "Mostly the need to stress the here." He scowled, Marik and Jonouchi suddenly done with their fake sobbing fest.

"Oh she's run from all sorts of shady characters in Egypt! You need a trouble magnet? No need to look for any better, she's the best!" Marik scoffed.

"Excuse me?  **I**  am the best? What about you Mr. I-want-to-handle-justice-myself? I was saving you from shit all the time!" She scowled, resting her hands on her hips.

"We're not talking about me! We're talking about  **you**." Marik lightly brushed off. "Those are unneeded details!"

"Yeah, just like Layla?" She raised a brow at this, Marik freezing before looking at her.

"Yeah,  **just**  like Layla." He scowled, the two glaring at one another in some silent staring contest before Marik gave in. "Alright, alright, we'll stop! Party pooper," he threw his hands in the air as Jonouchi snickered.

"Looks like she's got you beat too huh?" He clapped a hand on Marik's shoulder. "Welcome to the club, of course Yami here is the pres." He winked at his friend who scowled and flipped him off. "And that's a yes," he laughed. "Alright, as much as I would love to continue this but we do have to head back. Mr. Sharif is waiting for us." He pointed his thumb over his shoulder in the direction he and Marik came from.

"Oh, yeah! We better head back. Thanks for taking such good care of our little hellion Terry-berry!" Marik smiled, throwing his arm around her. "We'll see you tomorrow?"

"Is that even a question to ask?" Atem scoffed, tomorrow a school day.

"Well, a little birdie once told me a certain someone had a knack for skipping class and the habit is still sorta there when he gets all cute and embarrassed. Just wanted to make sure there's no running away." He spoke with a slight lilt at the end.

"Get off my dick, I'll be in class. I've been going to class just fine even with you're embarrassing ass hanging all over the place!" Atem snapped at Marik who laughed.

"Aw, do I get under your skin? Sorry, but you're not my type and I know you have your own little cutie." He winked at Atem who wrinkled his nose in disgust at even thinking there was even an iota of interest like that.

"Sorry to break your heart but I never was interested in you." Atem rolled his eyes as Marik placed a hand over his heart in mock hurt. "Anyway, I'm going to school tomorrow." He assured, turning to leave but stopped and turned back. In a few short steps he walked over to Terry, grabbed her arm and yanked her towards him. Cradling the back of her head in his other hand he kissed her once more and nipped at her lower lip lightly as he pulled away. "Night," he winked at her.

"Me too, me too!" Jonouchi teasingly grinned but quickly ducked behind Marik to avoid anything that was possible to be thrown at him.

"Kiss my ass," Atem rolled his eyes and started to walk back home with the sound of the two singing to Terry. He knew her face was probably as red as a tomato right now and as much as he wanted to see it he knew he would never leave if he did.

" **Terry and Yami sitting in a tree** ," the two sang, holding hands as the hopped around Terry. She covered her burning face in her hands as she tried to get them to stop singing so loud, knowing they would probably not completely stop. " **K-i-s-s-i-n-g!** "

"C"mon guys, my dad's waiting!" She groaned aloud, wishing this torture would stop.

"Alright, alright, we'll stop! Honestly though, how are you?" Marik snickered, resting a hand on her head. "Are you okay with all this?" He asked in a more serious tone.

"Yeah, I am." She softly answered after a small pause. She was not hesitant, but it was the first moment she was allowed to process everything. "Very okay with it an answer?" She laughed, it clear how very new she was to all this.

"Very okay is an answer," Jonouchi nodded his head. "If he tries or does anything you don't like, you let us know. Yeah, he's our friend and all but you're our Terry and we'll kick his ass for you if you find you don't have the heart too. Us guys, we need a swift boot to the ass sometimes you know?"

"Thank you, both of you." With that said, the trio headed home for the evening. Her father was happy to see his daughter and the two boys home safe when they finally returned. Him and the two elder Ishtars had started to worry if some trouble may have found them when it was getting late but Rishid was the voice of reason to calm both Ishizu and Aslan. Terry's still slightly red cheeks had set off some false alarms as the elders fussed over her health thinking she may have caught something again but she was quick to deny and assure them all was well though her face only gre redder at the attention and insisting on knowing what was the cause of her redness. Jonouchis and Marik watched, laughing at her expense until the attention was turned on them for taking their sweet time getting ready to get her. Terry, being the ever bleeding heart, jumped in to save the two but stating that she was perfectly fine and they were just teasing her for being out so late.

* * *

 The next morning, Terry was up and preparing breakfast with Ishizu as Rishid helped with setting the tables. Aslan watched silently, sipping his coffee to hide the small smile at that grew when Marik and Jonouchi came trudging to the table. They were still battling with the remnants of sleep that begged them to return to bed and just rest their eyes a little more. When he first moved here, Aslan was a little worried that Terry would have no one to spend time with but not the house was full with such lively and different personalities. In a way, they made up their own quirky family.

 _I wouldn't change a single thing about this._  He thought to himself as Jonouchi glanced at the chore table that was posted on the board for this week. He mumbled something about groceries and fumbled for his phone to put in a reminder before plopping into his usual seat while Marik hardly moved from where he half lay on the table. He watched as the others carry on as if they had no need for sleep ever.

"How does she do it?" He muttered, shaking his head as he forced himself to sit up.

"Who do what?" Jonouchi asked, looking over to see Terry and Ishizu. "Terry?" Marik nodded. "Yeah man, beats me." He sighed. "I can barely function before I get food in me. Has she always been like this uncle?" He turned to Aslan, the habit of calling Mr. Sharif that rubbed off on him by the Ishtar siblings. Not that Aslan minded, he preferred it in fact.

"Always been like what?" He raised a brow and glanced over at his daughter.

"Such a morning person? Then again, she's kinda just like you...so I guess like father like daughter?" Aslan pondered over this a moment as he recalled Terry growing up. She was always such a quiet and well mannered child in general, though as she got older she became more enamoured and energetic about things.

"She's always been like this, I suppose she gets it from me." He chuckled, not really sure if this was nurtured or nature since she never really spent time with her mother. It had been a while since he last thought of his ex-wife. It was not so much of a bad split, but it was painful. She simply no longer wanted anything to do with him the moment Terry was born. He never hid it from her, but he never went in-depth in detail with her.

"She's not like her mother?" He asked, Marik tensing a little at this as he looked at Aslan who smiled on as usual.

"She has her mother's sense decision. When she decides to do something she just does it." He laughed. "If she made a decision, she will go through with it without any hesitation. She has her internal drive from her, not that I don't have one. I tend to mull over things a little more and plan. She has that too, but her time in planning is a bit...on the short side. That is from her mother and I don't think it's a bad thing, so long as someone helps her balance a little more. Which, I'm not sure if you've both been able to handle that all too well." He chuckled, the two avoiding eye contact with him as they try to pretend as if they had no idea what he was talking about.

"What's going on?" Terry's voice had them jumping out of their seat as the food was brought to the table.

"Nothing, nothing, just trying to wake up." Marik quickly said, grabbing a roll and stuffing it in his mouth as Jonouchi dove into the omelettes. Terry is a bit confused by this, but they seemed to be ok, so she simply let it be.

"Come and sit, no need to worry too much." Aslan chuckled, pulling out her seat out a bit for her. Giving a small shrug, she took her seat and joined them for breakfast.

"So, excited to see Atem today?" Jonouchi looked up as Terry choked on her juice. Marik was quick to avoid choking on his bite of food, looking to find a red faced Terry.

"Why wouldn't she be excited to see him?" Aslan raised a brow at this, noting her reaction. "He is her friend after all."

"Oh not just a simple friend anymore." Marik mumbled more to himself but jumped at the swift kick to his leg and glared at Terry who was now glaring at him.

"Yami is...Atem yes?" Ishizu asked, frowning a little as Terry gave a quiet nod and it all suddenly became clear to her. "Ah, so that's it! You needn't worry too much uncle, I'll handle this for you." She quickly cut it to save Terry.

"Needn't worry about what?" He frowned as Rishid just shook his head.

"He's a great guy, honest! Well you know that, you met him." Jonouchi piped in. "He's interested in-ow!" He scowled at the swift kick that now met his leg.

"If you keep this up we'll have to run to school and it looks like you both may have trouble keeping up." Terry cleared her throat, instantly silencing the now pale face boys who now focused on their food.


	68. Admitting Defeat

“We’re **truly very undoubtedly** sorry!” Jonouchi clapped his hands together in front of him, jogging in front of Terry to stop her. Since they had left the house she had not said a single word to them. The moment the front door had shut behind them, any and all conversation from her had ended as if the door was some sort of signal. At first, the two had thought nothing of it, but when she failed to respond or even look at them the two were quick to catch on there was something going on.

Marik frowned as she made sure to keep a few paces ahead of them, ignoring him when he tried his best to get some sort of rise out of her. When he failed, Jonouchi had taken the lead to try only to befall the same fate, silence. They had mumbled about the possible reasons behind this odd behavior. At first, they worried if she was regretting what had happened last night with Atem. That hardly seemed like a Terry thing to do though, so it was quickly stricken from the list. The only possibility was they had crossed a line at breakfast.

Now here they were, heads bowed and hands held together in front of them in hopes to return to her good graces. Terry frowned at this, crossing her arms as she finally let out a small sigh. She really wished they would have been a little more mindful in front of the others at him, especially her father. This was the first time she ever dealt with this sort of situation unlike them. She had no clue how her father would have reacted, though she knew he would be calm about it even if concerned.

“You two can stop that, I’m not upset.” She finally spoke up, the jerking their heads up with hope filled eyes. “Yes, yes, I forgive you.” She hung her head as they their arms around her and pulled her into a group hug. They thanked her profusely, throwing all sorts of promises at her in hopes to make up for any possible residual displeasure. “It’s alright guys, really!” She laughed, patting theirs arms. “Seriously though, we might just have to run at this rate!” She pointed out and the two quickly pulled away so they could resume the walk.

“Well look who’s waiting.” Marik whistled, looking ahead to spot the flash of blue that stood stark against the crowd. The familiar sight of spiky hair sent a rush of excitement through her veins as she quickly looked over to see Atem leaning against the back of a bench with his eyes on the ground.

“Oh, what an eager look...aren’t you just so cute?” Jonouchi chuckled, pinching her cheek.

“H-hey, don’t do that! I’m not being anything but my usual self!” She huffed, swatting the hand away.

“Oh we know, we’re just being more vocal about noticing what it is that you do now that he’s finally been able to put his neck out there.” Marik snickered, sticking his tongue out at her.

“I swear, you two!” She rolled her eyes. “I should’ve kept you begging for forgiveness!” With those words, she took a few large strides to be ahead once more as she made her way over to their friend. _I wonder...what does this make us now though?_ She wondered, calling out to him.

“Hey, took you all long enough. Did you plan to see what time we be just late enough to not run or something?” He scowled, noting the two guys who looked a bit like dejected puppies. “What the hell is wrong with you two?”

“Terry said she forgave us but now she’s thinking of unforgiving us!” Jonouchi sniffled, Marik throwing his arms around Atem.

“You have to convince her to forgive us! Please, I beg of you!”He bat his lashes at Atem who wrenched his head as far back as he could from Marik as he tried to create some distance without pushing him off.

“O-oi, get the fuck off me! Ok, ok, I get it! Just don’t fucking do... **this** , it’s just **weird**!” He huffed, shoving Marik off. “So what’s the problem?” He scratched his head as they started walking to the station.

“Well, this morning we were all have a great breakfast as the big old family we are...when **she** started kicking us under the table!” Jonouchi scowled at Terry who was now glaring at him with slightly reddened cheeks.

“You know very well that’s not all of it, quit acting so innocent!” She grumbled, Marik feigning that her words had wounded him in some way.

“Such accusations so early in the morning!” He sniffled as Jonouchi nodded his head in agreement.

“I should be saying that about you two,” Atem rolled his eyes. _It’s way too early in the morning for all this. What are they getting on about and why is she so red?_ “So what has her pissed at the two of you dumbasses?” He bluntly asked, looking over at them as Terry made sure to walk ahead as they informed him about what had led to her kicking the two of them. He froze mid-step, staring at the two a if they were the dumbest spectacle to ever come before him. “You’re fucking kidding me.” He narrowed his eyes, shaking his head as he walked ahead. “You two screwed up, so you two fix it! You’re at fault!” He said simply, the tips of his ears a little red as his chest swelled with happiness at the fact that she was so frazzled by merely talks of them.

“What?! How cold! You have to help us! You said you would!” Jonouchi scowled, pouting before shouting after them. “H-hey, get back here and give us back our Terry! You can’t have her if you won’t help us!”

Atem had grabbed her hand and pulled her along as he began to run. Throwing a wink her way he looked over his shoulder to flip his finger at them.

“Serves you dumbasses for being dumbasses! Let’s see you try and take her away!” He shouted back, pulling her through the station. They just narrowly catch the earlier train, panting as they catch the other two just make it to the platform. They fumed a little as they watched the train leave with a smug Atem and a slightly concerned Terry.

“I hope they get to school on time. I don’t want them late because of me.” She mumbled, Atem blinking at her. His chest warmed at her concern as a bit of jealousy kindled inside of him.

“They’ll be fine, it’s their fault anyway. Also, they spend more than enough time with you...can’t you focus on me now?” He pouted, Terry smiling at his words.

“True, we don’t get much time with it just being us huh?” She laughed, falling into him at a push. She was about to apologize and pull away, but his arm kept her in place as he turned them so hi body was shielding her from the cramped car.

“Relax, I won’t let you fall.” He whispered in her ear, his voice making her heart jump.

“This has happened before.” She suddenly realized, all of the familiarity not entirely lost on her. Atem is a little puzzled by her words, about to say no when he recalled the train ride home yesterday.

 _That’s right, heh. Feels like ages already._ He chuckled a little as he rested his head on hers. “It did, but that was before I kissed you. Now I can do this more. Remember, only I can do this. I don’t care who it is, you’re not allowed to look this cute without me around.”

“Cute? Me? I think you’re just about the only guy our age who would think that.” She laughed off, shaking her head. He stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out just how serious she was at the moment. Seeing she was, he suddenly felt exhausted at the trouble this promised him.

“Oi, quit being so stupid.” He bit at her nose. “Foolish girl, I guess I’ll just have to keep a closer eye on you. Not that I mind.” He smirked a little, kissing the corner of her lips. His cheeks flushed red at the sight of her warm face. “D-don’t stare like that!” He covered her eyes as he pulled her closer to hide his own face. “Stupid, you don’t realize how cute you really are!” He muttered, Terry silently taking his words as the train rattled on. When they reach the stop by their school, the two stepped off, but hung around the platform as they waited for their friends.

More students with their uniform were in sight and Terry tried to pull away from him, taking a step and pulling her hand away but he only pulled her closer still. He raised a brow at her odd behavior, not caring who saw them. It was easy to tell what she was thinking in moments like these, and it only made her even more adorable.

 _Keep this up and I’ll never tire of teasing you._ He snickered as she tried to argue with him through looks, pouts, and gestures to everyone around. Leaning in close to her he held back the laugh at her reaction to lean back since his hold on her hand kept her in place. “And if I said I don’t give a fuck?” He purred, her eyes widening as he stole a quick kiss behind his bag that he raised to hold over shoulder. “Don’t give me such a needy look, I’m trying to behave.”

“Behave? This is the last thing from behaving!” She scowled at him, squeezing his hand tight. “Keep this is up, someone will see...are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure...unless, you don’t want others to see us?” His voice grew a little cold as he asked the question that was itching in the darkness of his heart. He kept a sober-faced expression as he awaited her response, the little voice in his head dancing away with glee as he said this was it. She would prove to be like the rest and Atem was gonna be kicked to the curb once more. The silence that stretched between them was painful and slowly he was about to pull away when she finally spoke up.

“I don’t really care if others see...well, I mean I’m not all that great with PDA and stuff like that, but that’s just my lack of experience talking I think.” She frowned at his question, carefully trying to explain her take on all this. “I mean...I can’t say I really know what we are though. This is all new to me so I’m not really sure what anything means...you said I won’t be wrong if I’m thinking as I am, but is that really ok?” He stood there, frozen by her words.

 _Alway, you always just one up me don’t you?! How are you so fucking clueless for someone who see everything?!_ His hips and knees suddenly lost all strength as he fell down into a squat. Covering his face with his free hand, he squeezed her hand to let her know he was fine as she began to panic. Pulling her down to his level, he kissed her properly without a care of who saw them. _I really can’t win against you can I? But that’s not so bad...if it’s like this, I don’t mind losing._ He smiled warmly at her as she looked at his flustered and confused before smiling as well. “It’s perfectly ok with me...but you really have to take full responsibility now.”

“I told you I would, I still mean it. No matter how much of a handful you are.” She grinned, earning a scowl from him as she stood up before extending her hands to help him up. “I’m used to it by now, I didn’t leave you before...I’m not leaving now.” She promised him just as they heard some hollering, only to see some of the soccer team, Jonouchi, Marik, and their other friends.

“So **that’s** how it is.” Rei smirked as Ryuji and Hiroto made kissy faces at them.

“I really didn’t see that coming this morning...but at the same time I’ve been kinda hoping.” Minako admitted, leaning into her boyfriend.

“We win the pool!” Marik and Jonouchi grin, punching a fist in the air as the hook arms around one another.

“A pool? You guys bet on this? The fuck?!” Atem scowled, Terry hitting her forehead at this. “Fuck you all,” he snapped as he dragged Terry away to hide his red face. The others chase after him, begging him to come back as he ran with Terry who just laughed it off and ran with him.

“You can’t say I’m the one who starts the running!”

“Yeah, well you’re always the reason! Not that I mind it, so long as it’s you. Just don’t grabbing and running with anyone else.” He flashed her a grin as they made it just in time for class.

Anzu and Kyohei watched as they both came in red faced and laughing, but something was different. It was a different that made them a little sick to their stomachs was they watched the two. Anzu scrutinized everything as Atem tugged at Terry’s messed up ponytail, making it come loose. Kyohei frowned as she looked a little surprised by the action, but was not minding how much closer he was to her as he offered to fix it for her. He fumbled a little at first, but finally managed to tie the ribbon back into place. Anzu’s eyes practically popped out of her head as she watched Atem lean close and whisper something to her. The clattering of her desk grabbing everyone’s attention as she stood from her seat and grabbed Kyohei who was already on the same page as her. The fact that Atem barely gave them even a passing glance sent the two in a rage as the pushed between the two as they left the room for a moment.

“Back the fuck up bitch.” Anzu hissed as she stepped on Terry’s foot as hard as she could, but the stern look from Terry had her stumbling a bit until Kyohei smirked coldly at her. “The fuck is up with that bitch? Who the fuck does she think she is?!” She seethed as Kyohei silently agreed with his partner.

“Seems we’ve underestimated her once again...don’t worry. I’ve got something worked out. I didn’t really wanna go this way,” he sighed the last few words. Though his expression matched them, his eyes were alight with excitement at the prospect. “It seems we’ll have to be a bit strict with her.”

“Oh, so you’re really going to?” Anzu purred, slipping her arms around him as his hands rested on the curve of her butt. “I’m tempted to watch...can I?”

“Oh, I’d be hurt if you didn’t...since I know how you get just thinking about her being utterly humiliated.” With identical wicked looks, they sealed their dark deal with a heated kiss as they made their way to an empty room to help sate the rush of heat at their victory.


End file.
